Maria Frances Parke (26 August 1772 – 31 July 1822) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

of keyboard works. Parke was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Her father was the

oboist An oboist (formerly hautboist) is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the oboe d'amore, cor anglais or English horn, bass oboe and piccolo oboe or oboe musette. The following is a list of notable past and pres ...

John Parke John Grubb Parke (September 22, 1827 – December 16, 1900) was a United States Army engineer and a Union general in the American Civil War. Parke's Civil War service was closely associated with Ambrose E. Burnside, often serving him as c ...

, while her uncle was the oboist and composer

William Thomas Parke William Thomas Parke (15 February 1761 – 26 August 1847) was an English oboist and composer. He played in notable concerts of the day; in retirement he published ''Musical Memoirs''. Life Parke began his musical studies in 1770 under his elder ...

. She made her debut as a pianist and singer at the age of nine. She is known to have played the harpsichord for a concert in 1781. At ten she performed a

Clementi Clementi may refer to: People * Aldo Clementi (1925–2011), Italian composer * Carlo Mazzone-Clementi (1920–2000), Italian actor and mime * Cecil Clementi (1875–1947), British colonial administrator, Governor of Hong Kong and Straits Sett ...

duet with Maria Hester Park née Reynolds (1760–1813), with whom she is sometimes confused. As soprano soloist, Parke performed at the Handel Commemorations, at the

Hanover Square Rooms The Hanover Square Rooms or the Queen's Concert Rooms were assembly rooms established, principally for musical performances, on the corner of Hanover Square, London, England, by Sir John Gallini in partnership with Johann Christian Bach and Ca ...

, and at the Salomon concert series (1791-1795) in which

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

also participated. Haydn directed a symphony at one of her benefit concerts. Her compositions, performed at the

Vauxhall Gardens Vauxhall Gardens is a public park in Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, on the south bank of the River Thames. Originally known as New Spring Gardens, it is believed to have opened before the Restoration of 1660, being me ...

, included keyboard and vocal works. The ''Three Grand Sonatas for the piano forte with additional keys'', op. 1, were published in 1799.Barbara Garvey Jackson. ''Say Can You Deny Me: A Guide to Surviving Music by Women from the 16th Through the 18th Centuries'' (Fayetteville, AR, 1994) In 1815 she married John Beardmore, following which she retired from music. She died in London in 1822.

Works

Selected works include: *''A Divertimento and Military Rondo'' for the Piano *''Grand Sonata in F Major'' for Solo Piano *''Grand Sonata in E-flat Major'' for Solo Piano *''Grand Sonata in D Major'' for Solo Piano

References

External links

* 1772 births 1822 deaths 18th-century classical composers Composers for piano 18th-century British classical composers 18th-century classical pianists 18th-century English keyboardists British women keyboardists 19th-century British composers 19th-century British classical composers 19th-century classical pianists 19th-century keyboardists English Classical-period composers English classical pianists English women pianists English sopranos British women classical composers Singers from London Women classical pianists 19th-century English women composers 18th-century British women composers 18th-century English women musicians 18th-century English people 19th-century English women 19th-century English people 19th-century women pianists {{UK-classical-pianist-stub