May Mukle
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May Henrietta Mukle FRAM (14 May 1880 – 20 February 1963) was a British
cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
and composer. She has been described as a "noted feminist cellist", who encouraged other women cellists.


Early life

Mukle was born in London, the daughter of Leopold Mukle. Her father was an immigrant from Rohrbach near Furtwangen in the Black Forest, Germany, who trained as a clockmaker, but was best known as an organ builder in London and part of the partnership Imhof & Mukle. Her sisters Anne (pianist), Lillian (trumpet), Flora (singer), Louisa, and Clara were also musicians. She studied cello at the
Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is one of the oldest music schools in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the firs ...
with Alessandro Pezze (1835-1914).


Career

Mukle was a working musician for over fifty years, including concert tours in Australia, Africa, and Asia. Her instrument was built by
Montagnana Montagnana is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Padova, in Veneto (northern Italy). Neighbouring communes are Borgo Veneto, Casale di Scodosia, Urbana, Bevilacqua, Pojana Maggiore, Pressana, Minerbe and Roveredo di Guà. , the popul ...
and bought for her by an anonymous donor. Mukle was also a composer of works for cello and piano. She performed as a soloist, and in chamber ensembles. She was a member of
Rosabel Watson Rosabel Grace Watson (September 1865 – 5 October 1959) was an English conductor, theatre music director and all-round musician. She was the founder of the first all-female orchestra in the UK. Education and early career Watson became interested ...
's Aeolian Ladies' Orchestra, and of the all-women English Ensemble, with violinist
Marjorie Hayward Marjorie Olive Hayward (14 August 188510 January 1953) was an English violinist and violin teacher, prominent during the first few decades of the 20th century. Biography Marjorie Hayward was born in Greenwich in 1885. An "infant prodigy", he ...
, violist Rebecca Clarke, and pianist
Kathleen Long Kathleen "Ida" Long CBE (7 July 189620 March 1968) was an English pianist and teacher. Early life Long was born in Brentford, a suburb of London in the UK. Her early instruction in music, which began aged six, was with her aunt, Miss J. E. Long. ...
. In 1925, Mukle played at New York's Aeolian Hall with
Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who moved to the United States in 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long and ...
and
Lionel Tertis Lionel Tertis, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (29 December 187622 February 1975) was an English viola, violist. He was one of the first viola players to achieve international fame, and a noted teacher. Career Tertis was born ...
. With her pianist sister, Anne Mukle, she was a member of the
Maud Powell Minnie "Maud" Powell (August 22, 1867 – January 8, 1920) was an American violinist who gained international acclaim for her skill and virtuosity. Biography Powell was born in Peru, Illinois. Her mother was Wilhelmina "Minnie" Bengelstraeter ...
Trio, which toured South Africa and America. Also with Anne, she gave the first performance of
Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...
' ''Six Studies in English Folk Song'' in London in 1926. Mukle's apartment near
Wigmore Hall The Wigmore Hall is a concert hall at 36 Wigmore Street, in west London. It was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt and opened in 1901 as the Bechstein Hall; it is considered to have particularly good building acoustics, acoustics. It specialis ...
was convenient for hosting visiting musicians; she also convinced the landlords to rent other apartments to musicians, so there would be fewer conflicts about noise. She founded the Mainly Musicians Club in a basement in London; during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, she converted it into a air raid shelter. She was an original member of the
Society of Women Musicians The Society of Women Musicians was a British group founded in 1911 for mutual cooperation between women composers and performers, in response to the limited professional opportunities for women musicians at the time. The founders included Katharine ...
, present at the organization's first meeting in 1911. Mukle was described in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' as "in the very front rank of living violoncellists", and her obituary in ''The Times'' says of her: "by the turn of the century she was fully recognized not only as an outstanding musician but as one of the most remarkable cellists this country had produced."


Personal life and legacy

Mukle broke her wrist in a car accident in 1959, at age 79, but resumed playing after it healed, performing in North Carolina in 1960. She died at
Cuckfield Cuckfield ( ) is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Mid Sussex District, Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, on the southern slopes of the Weald. It lies south of London, north of Brighton, and east northea ...
, Sussex, in 1963, at the age of 82. Her portrait, painted by John Mansfield Crealock, is held in the museum of the Royal Academy of Music. The May Mukle Prize was founded in 1964 in her honour and is awarded each year to a cello student of the college.


Musical family

* Leopold Mukle (c1829 – died after 1896), German born organ builder (Imhof & Mukle, founded 1852) **Anne Mukle (1866–1941), pianist, active early 1900s until 1940, founding member of the
Society of Women Musicians The Society of Women Musicians was a British group founded in 1911 for mutual cooperation between women composers and performers, in response to the limited professional opportunities for women musicians at the time. The founders included Katharine ...
, duo with cellist Lilly Phillips **Flora Mukle (1873–????), singer, flute **Lillian Mukle (1874–????), trumpet, cornet **Louisa Mukle (1879–????), viola, cello, double bass, percussion'Y.M.C.A' Soldier's Hut', in ''The Bucks Herald'', 16 October 1915, p. 6'The Yeoman of the Guard at Sudbury', in ''Suffolk and Essex Free Press'', 31 January 1924, p. 2 **May Mukle (1880–1963), cellist and composer **Clara Mukle, musician


References


External links

* ''Portrait of May Mukle'' *
Autographed postcard print of May Henrietta Mukle
before
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, in the
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...
.
Recordings of May Mukle
included in the National Jukebox, Library of Congress. {{DEFAULTSORT:Muklé, May 1880 births 1963 deaths Women cellists Fellows of the Royal Academy of Music Musicians from London 20th-century British classical musicians 20th-century English women musicians 20th-century British cellists