Tolkowsky, Denise (1918-1991)

Tolkowsky, Denise

PIANIST, COMPOSER (RUSSIA)

BORN 11 Aug 1918, Brighton, East Sussex - DIED 9 Mar 1991, Antwerpen
GRAVE LOCATION Antwerpen: Schoonselhof, Sint-Bernardsesteenweg, Hoboken (perk R, rij 03)

Denise Tolkowsky was the daughter of the Belgian singer and actress Anna Kennes. Her father came from Russia. She was born in Brighton, where her family had fled after the First World War broke out. At an early age she was taught to play the piano by her sister. She studied at the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp from the age of tweve. Emmanuel Durlet (1893-1977), Edward Verheyden (1878-1959), Karel Candael (1883-1948) and Flor Alpaerts (1876-1954) were her teachers. When she was fifteen years old she created her first compositions. She married the pianist Alex de Vries.

She worked as a composer and performed as a concert pianist. Sometimes she performed quatre mains pieces with her husband. She was Jewish and during the Second World War they had to flee Antwerp and went into hiding in Ghent. After the war they returned to Antwerp. From 1947 to 1949 she was musical director of the Belgian Ballets. She worked as a private teacher as well.

After her husband committed suicide in 1964, she set up the Alex de Vries Fund that assisted young musicians. In 1980 she became the director of the Flemish region of Yehudi Menuhin's Live Music Now. She died in 1991 in Antwerp and was buried beside her husband at the Schoonselhof cemetery.

Images

The grave of Denise Tolkoswky anf Alex de Vries at the Schoonselhof, Antwerpen.
Picture by Androom (30 apr 2012)