26 Facts About Hephzibah Menuhin

Hephzibah Menuhin was an American-Australian pianist, writer, and human rights campaigner.

Hephzibah Menuhin was sister to the violinist Yehudi Menuhin and to the pianist, painter, and poet Yaltah Menuhin.

Hephzibah Menuhin was a linguist and writer, co-authoring several books and writing many papers with her second husband, Richard Hauser.

Hephzibah Menuhin spent only five days at a San Francisco school, where she was classed as educationally backward.

Hephzibah Menuhin's parents took her out of school and taught her to read and write at home.

Hephzibah Menuhin started studying the piano at the age of four, initially with Judith Blockley, a specialist in teaching young children, and later with Lev Shorr, a Russian-born grand-pupil of Theodor Leschetizky and future teacher of Leon Fleisher.

Hephzibah Menuhin gave her first recital in San Francisco in 1928 when she was eight.

Hephzibah Menuhin then studied with Rudolf Serkin in Basel and Marcel Ciampi in Paris.

The siblings performed in the New York Town Hall and Queen's Hall in London, and Hephzibah Menuhin gave solo recitals in most of the major cities of Europe and America.

In quick succession, Yehudi married Nola, and Hephzibah Menuhin married Lindsay, abandoning her plans to give her debut recital in Carnegie Hall, New York.

Hephzibah Menuhin moved with Lindsay Nicholas to his grazing property "Terrinallum" near Derrinallum, Victoria, where she spent the next 13 years.

Hephzibah Menuhin started a traveling library for children and bore two sons, Kronrod and Marston Nicholas.

Hephzibah Menuhin played with the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras and she and Yehudi played together many times during his 1940 tour of Australia.

Hephzibah Menuhin gave solo recitals, supported local activities such as the Griller Quartet, and was involved with Richard Goldner in the foundation of Musica Viva Australia.

Hephzibah Menuhin befriended many displaced European musicians who had emigrated to Australia.

Hephzibah Menuhin took her to see the Theresienstadt concentration camp, which had a profound effect on her, forcing her to confront the meaning of her own Jewish heritage, and they entered a romantic relationship which lasted for several years.

Hephzibah Menuhin supported all types of causes with concerts and recitals, such as the National Music Camp Association, and she was outspoken about the influence of television on children.

Hephzibah Menuhin was connected with the Heide circle of contemporary artists and opened the Royal Tour Contemporary Art Exhibition in 1954 at Mirka Mora's studio in Melbourne.

In Sydney, Hephzibah Menuhin met and became involved with Richard Hauser, an Austrian Quaker sociologist and social commentator who had moved to Sydney with his family, then wife Ruth Hauser, and their daughter Eva.

Hephzibah Menuhin divorced her husband and married Hauser in Sydney in 1955.

In 1977 Hephzibah Menuhin became the President of the British chapter of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

Hephzibah Menuhin toured with Yehudi and the Menuhin Festival Orchestra: the United States and Canada in 1967, and Australia in 1970 and 1975.

In 1979 Hephzibah Menuhin made her last Australian concert appearances, playing with Yehudi and the Sydney String Quartet.

Hephzibah Menuhin appeared with her brother for the last time at the Royal Festival Hall in London in November 1979.

Hephzibah Menuhin died in London on 1 January 1981, following a lengthy illness.

Hephzibah Menuhin's recordings include Schubert's Trout Quintet with members of the Amadeus Quartet, Mozart concertos with her brother conducting, trios with Yehudi and Maurice Gendron, and sonatas with Yehudi.