Fanny Waterman, a native of Leeds, forever remained one of the most outstanding personalities of the British music world. She was endowed with extraordinary musical talent, determination and perseverance. Thanks to these qualities, she revealed her genius to the maximum. Fanny Waterman had to go through a difficult professional path from a talented pianist and an excellent teacher to the co-founder of the Leeds International Piano Competition. Learn more at leedska.
Colleagues and students of Fanny Waterman remember the gifted piano queen with great gratitude and respect. She managed to fill everyone with a special passion and sincere love for music as well as engage them in a beautiful and unforgettable world. She was one of the main organisers and founders of the world’s most prestigious piano art competition in an industrial city in the north of England.
Fanny Waterman successfully ran The Leeds International Piano Competition as Chair and Artistic Director for over five decades, forever going down in history as a “force of nature” in the world of classical music. Anyone lucky enough to work with Dame Waterman considered it the greatest privilege of their lives. She passed away at the age of 100 but left behind an incredible legacy and helped launch the careers of many of the world’s most talented pianists.
Fanny Waterman’s family and childhood
The future pianist was born in a family of Jewish emigrants in Leeds on March 22, 1920. Her father Myer Waterman (Wasserman) was born in Berdychiv, Ukraine, in 1892. In 1909, he emigrated to Great Britain, where he began working in the jewellery sphere. Later, he married Mary Behrmann, who shared his Jewish ancestry. Three years later, the young couple had a son Harry and then Fanny.
The famous pianist often mentioned her father in numerous interviews. Being an experienced diamond setter, Myer Waterman skilfully handled tiny jewels. In addition, she believed that it had a positive effect on her understanding and perception of the fullness and beauty of music. Interestingly, Fanny wasn’t religious but always felt an attachment to Jewish culture. The Waterman family was well-off. Still, the parents managed to explain to their children the importance of such intangible things as health, honesty and beauty.
Discovery and development of musical talent
Little Fanny’s musical talent began to manifest itself in her early childhood. When she was seven years old, her parents managed to find money to buy Fanny a second-hand piano. Fanny began taking her first lessons from a local teacher, Mrs Goldstone, while Harry played the violin, studying with Arthur Kaye in Huddersfield.
With the support of headmistress Norah Henderson at Chapel Allerton High School, Fanny played hymns on the piano at school assemblies. Then she began to understand the beauty of singing and music in general. In addition, the young pianist liked to visit the Leeds Town Hall, where she got acquainted with the musical works by the most outstanding musicians of that time, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot and Fritz Kreisler.
College and public speaking
At the age of 17, the young girl began to learn to play the piano with Tobias Matthay in London. Four years later, Fanny successfully opened the concert season of the Leeds Symphony Society. Later, the talented pianist received a scholarship to the Royal College of Music and studied with Cyril Smith. Fanny also managed to successfully combine studies and public speaking.
In 1942, she performed at balls under the direction of Sir Henry Wood, who repeatedly noted that her work made a strong impression on the audience. However, all of that was interrupted by the Second World War. Then the talented girl faced an important choice. She had options of joining the ranks of the Women’s Land Army or to start teaching. Fanny chose the latter and found her true calling in life.
Teaching career and family life
In 1941, the young pianist met a young medical student Geoffrey de Keyser at a music concert in Leeds. Three years later, the young people got married. Their marriage ceremony took place at the Beth Hamedrash Synagogue in Leeds. Geoffrey was a general practitioner, while his young wife started working as a piano teacher at her old school. Then Fanny clearly realised that besides playing the piano, she really liked teaching. At the same time, she managed to continue to take part in concert programmes. She opened the new season of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra and performed in a duet with violinist Rosemary Rapaport.
For a long time, Fanny Waterman has been successfully conducting master classes in various parts of the world, speaking on radio and TV. In addition, she launched a series of educational publications, The Waterman/Harewood Piano Series. They numbered several dozen volumes and were sold in more than 3 million copies. Her piano bestsellers have inspired countless generations of young pianists.
After the birth of two sons, Robert and Paul, Fanny had to end her concert activities, fully concentrating on her family and teaching. She was a unique teacher who not only was in love with music but lived it. Each of her students mastered the techniques as well as learned to feel the subtle beauty of music. Therefore, she was one of the most popular private piano teachers in Great Britain.
In addition, her students almost always won various music competitions and festivals. At the beginning of 1960, she taught the most outstanding British child pianists, such as Allan Schiller (who gave a solo concert at the Edinburgh Festival at the age of 13) and eight-year-old Michael Roll (who performed Mozart’s compositions with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra).
However, the most promising students of Fanny Waterman were advised not to waste their talents in the industrial city of Leeds and to seek better opportunities outside. It upset Fanny very much. Therefore, one day she got the idea to organise a piano competition. At first, that idea seemed ghostly even for Fanny’s husband, but the determined pianist was unstoppable.
The Leeds International Piano Competition
Inspired by a new idea to hold a grand piano competition in her hometown, the energetic Fanny began to seek support from friends and various benefactors. Her best friend Marion Thorpe, Countess of Harewood, was the first to help. Of course, her husband, Geoffrey de Keyser, who was always a strong support for the fragile Fanny throughout her life, wasn’t left out. Together, they begin to form a committee and collect funds. In order to organise the first competition in 1963, they managed to raise £8,500, which was provided by the largest business communities in Leeds. The competition jury was headed by Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queen’s Music. At that time, Leeds hosted 94 participants from different parts of the world. British Michael Roll became the winner of the first pianist competition.
Thanks to the hard work, amazing charisma and crazy passion of Fanny Waterman, the Leeds International Piano Competition has become one of the most prestigious ones in the music world. It also began the grandiose careers of the most outstanding pianists of our time, such as Radu Lupu, Sunwook Kim, Murray Perahia, Federico Colli, Eric Lu, Mitsuko Uchida, Lars Vogt and others.
Fanny Waterman remained Life President and Founding Director Emeritus of the Leeds International Piano Competition. To honour her important achievements, she was appointed Officer, Commander and in 2005 Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She also holds a doctorate in music from the University of Leeds and Honorary Membership of the Royal Philharmonic Society. However, the most important award for Fanny personally was The Freedom of Leeds. It is the highest award of the city of Leeds, which honours the special achievements of its unique citizens.
A fragile woman with steely stubbornness managed to change the daily routine of a provincial town in West Yorkshire. She left behind a huge legacy, making an invaluable contribution to the music world in Great Britain and also around the world. Fanny Waterman forever remained a legendary personality in the world of British piano music.