Marguerite Volavy, also known as Madame Volavy (1886 - 1951), was a pianist known for her recordings of Czech music and composers.

Early life

Volavy was born in Brno, Moravia, and studied at the

Vienna Conservatory Vienna Conservatory may refer to: *University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university ...

under

Anton Door Anton Door (20 June 18337 November 1919) was an Austrian pianist and music educator, also known in Russia as Anton Andreyevich Door. Biography Anton Door was born in Vienna and studied piano with Carl Czerny and theory with Simon Sechter. He beg ...

. She graduated first in her class in piano at the age of 15. In 1902 she began playing with the Prague Orchestra, and then in 1912 she moved to the United States where she played her first concert at Carnegie Hall in 1915. She performed in New York City, multiple times. In addition to her live performances, Volavy recorded piano rolls and talked with newspaper reporters about how the piano rolls were made and edited. She recorded piano songs under the name Volavy and two pseudonyms (Felix Gerdts and George Kerr). Her piano rolls were recorded by the American Piano Company also known as Ampico. On the piano rolls, the pieces she recorded included works by

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

and

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

. Volavy's hand was damaged in an accident on the subway in New York City. She received financial compensation for the injury and she was unable to continue playing the piano. In 1926 she began working as a music editor with the American Piano Company, where she was responsible for making sure recordings produced the musician's music correctly. She also lectured about music, and started teaching in 1932, Some said she was known as Madame Volavy because she resembled a madam as might be found in a brothel, while other publications noted "her proportions" were such that the name seemed appropriate. Volavy died in

Valhalla, New York Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the New York City metropolitan area. Its population was 3,162 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The name was in ...

in 1951. =References= {{DEFAULTSORT:Volavy, Marguerite 1886 births 1951 deaths 20th-century women pianists Musicians from Brno