Valda Rose Aveling was an Australian pianist, harpsichordist and clavichordist.
11 Facts About Valda Aveling
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Valda Aveling was born in Sydney, the youngest of four girls and a boy, and showed great talent at an early age.
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Valda Aveling then left for Britain to study harpsichord and clavichord with Violet Gordon-Woodhouse.
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Valda Aveling returned in 1938 to make her piano debut under Malcolm Sargent, at the Sydney Town Hall.
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Valda Aveling later came to dislike Beethoven's music, saying there was "nothing light in it".
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Valda Aveling was active as a harpsichordist before the emergence of the early music movement and commissioned works for the instrument from living composers.
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Valda Aveling was the first to give amplified recitals on the clavichord.
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Valda Aveling taught at Trinity College of Music, London, and made numerous recordings.
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Valda Aveling played Bach concertos for two, three or four keyboards, with players such as George Malcolm, Simon Preston, Eileen Joyce and Geoffrey Parsons, and conductors such as Yehudi Menuhin.
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Valda Aveling gave a number of premieres, such as new works by Stephen Dodgson and Dame Elizabeth Maconchy.
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Valda Aveling lived the last ten years of her life being cared for by friends and tending her garden, which contained a large eucalyptus tree imported from Australia.