Evelyn Suart

Who was Evelyn Suart?

Evelyn Suart, Lady Harcourt was an English pianist.

She was born in 1881 in Sindapore, India, the daughter of Brigadier-General W. H. Suart, and she spent some of her early childhood there. She also lived for periods in Gibraltar and England. Her piano studies were with Storck in Brussels, Raoul Pugno in Paris and Theodor Leschetizky in Vienna. She made six tours and appeared in Vienna, Brussels, London, and with the Berlin and Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestras. In London she often played at the St. James's Hall, under conductors such as Hans Richter and Sir Henry J. Wood, and appeared with violinists of the calibre of Eugène Ysaÿe and Karel Halíř, and other artists.

Her British premieres included the original version of Sergei Rachmaninoff's 1st Piano Concerto, Max Reger's Violin Sonata No. 5 in F-sharp minor, and pieces by Debussy, Ravel, H. Balfour Gardiner, and most particularly Cyril Scott. She met Scott in 1902 and soon became his champion, frequently playing his works, and introducing him to his publisher, Elkin. Scott dedicated his Scherzo, Op. 25, to her.

She was also a Christian Scientist, and interested in metaphysics. It was through her that Cyril Scott began his lifelong interest in such matters.