William Murdoch - Debussy: Jardins sous la pluie

Recorded ca. 1923. from Estampes William Murdoch Born: February 10, 1888 - Sandhurst (Bendigo), Victoria, Australia Died: September 9, 1942 - Holmbury St Mary, Surrey, England The Australian musician and author, William David Murdoch, was son of Andrew Murdoch, engineer, and his wife Annie, née Esler. Although his parents were &little musical&he showed no interest until, aged 11, he began piano lessons. He was soon competing successfully in solo competitions at Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong and Melbourne and in 1903 was awarded the first Bendigo Austral scholarship. Murdoch also won an Ormond exhibition and began piano studies with W.A. Laver at the University of Melbourne&Conservatorium of Music. In 1906 he won the [W. J.] Clarke scholarship which, together with funds raised by public subscription, enabled him to study at the Royal College of Music, London. Under the guidance of Frits Hartvigson, the eminent Danish pianist and teacher, William Murdoch won two gold medals, a Bechstein grand piano and personal acclamation from Sir Hubert Parry, who described him as one of the most &and &personalities to study at the R.C.M. Murdoch gave his first public recital in 1910 and next year, with (Dame) Clara Butt, played in South Africa, the first of many tours which included the Butt-Rumford visit to Australia and New Zealand in 1913. On August 5, 1915 he married, in London, Ellen Josephine Tuckfield. From 1916 he served in France as a bandsman in the Grenadier Guards and in...