Biography

Margaret Bruce

Classical Concert pianist

MARGARET BRUCE is Canadian. She grew up in Vancouver and was educated at  Bishop Strachan School and the Toronto Conservatory of Music before leaving Canada for London when she was 18. 

After studying at the Royal College of Music she won a scholarship for further study in Vienna and Dvorak at the House of Artists in Prague. Returning from Vienna, she completed her studies with the Czech concert pianist Lisa Fuchsova and the German- born conductor Peter GellhornReturning from Vienna, she completed her studies with the Czech concert pianist Lisa Fuchsova and the German- born conductor Peter Gellhorn.

There are any number of pianists who've had the occasional work composed for them but Margaret Bruce, on the other hand,has had what amounts to an entire repetoire of new music written specially for her by composers as famous as Herbert Howells and Sir Lennox Berkeley. Not that Bruce has restricted her performance activities exclusive to new music. She's played Mozart and Chopin at the Barbican with the Royal  Philharmonic, performed Liszt in Slovakia  and Bermuda and presented  varied recitals and broadcasts throughout  North America and Europe.

Of all the composers  who have written works for her, the Czech composer Antonin Tucapsky has particular pride of place. In the 80s Bruce premiered his "Fantasia quasi una sonata" at the Purcell Room. There followed a piano concerto, a piano trio and 24 Piano Preludes. As well he wrote  a miniature Piano Trio for her triplet sons when they were five years old.