The Artists

Denes de Holesch

Joyce Greer de Holesch

Denes de Holesch painting of
Joyce Greer de Holesch

Concert Pianist: Joyce Greer de Holesch

Sir Neville Cardus wrote of Joyce Greer de Holesch in The Guardian: 'Seldom have I heard Brahms as well-played by a woman pianist'

and a New York Times review noted that Joyce Greer de Holesch was a 'Pianist of power, authority and experience, possessing a conviction without which there can be no art'

Joyce Greer de Holesch is known throughout the world, and is acclaimed as one of the great concert pianists.

She was born on the 6th of May 1918 at Elsternwick, Victoria and was the second and youngest child of Samuel Lockhart Greer, Chairman of the Victorian Railways and Lucilla, nee Appleton. Her brother, Edward Lockhart was twelve years her senior. From an early age, Joyce showed a keen interest in music, and was given every encouragement by her parents. Her father was a talented pianist, who Joyce recalls had perfect pitch and played everything 'by ear'. Joyce believes she inherited his abilities, and from the age of three was competently playing the piano, and already improvising a great deal on the family Steinway.

Joyce's school years were spent at St. Clements Primary School and Firbank Grammar School, where Joyce was regularly asked to play the Hymns for the School Assemblies in the School Hall.

In 1934, at the age of fifteen, Joyce won the inaugural Frank Homewood Memorial Scholarship, which provided her with three years study at the Melbourne University Music Faculty. Here she played with the internationally famous conductor, Sir Bernard Heinze, Dean of the Music Faculty, and became close friends with fellow student, Dorian Le Gallienne.

In 1937, Joyce travelled with her mother to London and Paris, to further her music studies. In London, she studied under the celebrated Hungarian, Tobias Matthay, who was also giving lessons to Moura Lympany. Under Matthay, in 1938, Joyce won the Bach Prize in London, and in the following year, at the age of twenty-one, won the Musical Initiative Prize in London. This later prize was awarded and judged by the world famous pianist, Dame Myra Hess; the composer, Nicholas Medtner; and the great pianist, Benno Moiseiwitsch. Recognition from this prize, paved the way to Joyce's first recital in London, in the Queen's Hall.

At this stage of her career, and for many years after, Joyce admits to regularly practicing up to nine hours a day. Joyce also played soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, under Sir John Barbirolli, and with the Halle' Orchestra, under the direction of Eugene Ormandy. During this time in London, Joyce met with many other musicians, such as Yehudi Menuhin and his sister, Hepzibah.

Late in 1939, Joyce returned to Australia, and in 1940, played a Brahms recital in Sydney. Such was the success of this recital, that many offers of recitals followed, and for the next four years, Joyce was busy travelling and playing to audiences throughout Australia.

In March 1944, Joyce was the guest pianist in Sydney, in the Russian Festival of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Living in Sydney at this time was the Hungarian born artist, Denes de Holesch, who had been earning a living from painting the portraits of the well known in Sydney society. He was in later life to be described by Sir Harold Acton, as 'The Twentieth-Century Stubbs', for his wonderful artworks depicting horses. The artist had read the glowing review of Joyce's recital in the Sydney Morning Herald, and rang Joyce to ask whether he could paint her portrait. Joyce agreed, and ten days later Joyce and Denes were married in Sydney.

The couple had two children, Laura and Hugo. Laura was born in Lilydale, Victoria in 1944 and in 1973 married the famous English, Oscar winning playwright, Christopher Hampton. She currently resides in London. Hugo, was born in Montreal, Canada in 1946, has a PhD. in Philosophy from the Sorbonne, Paris, and currently resides in Budapest. In October 1945, the couple left Australia for New York, however before they left, Joyce played a Grieg concerto with orchestra in Brisbane with Eugene Ormandy, and also spent several months in a residence in Ridgway Place, off Little Collins Street, Melbourne. This trip to New York, furthered Joyce's wonderful and successful international career.

In New York she studied with Egon Petri, the famous pupil of Ferrucio Busoni, and also studied with Ignaz Friedman. She gave concerts with the Oakland Symphony Orchestra; at the Town Hall in New York City; in Hunter College, and also over the Columbia Broadcasting System with orchestra under the direction of Leon Barzin.

In 1950, Joyce was asked to play as a guest pianist in the 'Festival of Britain', and the family moved to England to live in St.John's Wood.

Iin 1956, she played in Lieder Halle in Stuttgart, and was informed that she was the 'first British subject to play there since the end of the Second World War'. Since that time, Joyce's musical career has taken her to many different countries. She has lived and given recitals in England, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, United States of America, Hungary and Australia, and has also given three concerts in Rumania.

Joyce also visited Spain with her husband, and admits that they both shared a love of Spanish music and the Arts of Spain. However, Joyce also admits that she thinks that Brahms is unique, and that Brahms and Rachmaninov are her favourites.

In 1983, her husband died in Budapest, and since that time Hungary has become her base. In 1984, Joyce gave her first concert in Hungary, which was a Beethoven concert in Budapest.

In 1987, Joyce visited Australia and played on the 13th November, one of the 'Free Lunchtime Concerts' in the Melbourne Concert Hall. Joyce again visited Australia in 1989, this time for an exhibition of her husband's artworks, and the launching of his biography, written by well-known Art Historian, Andrew Mackenzie. Over the last few years, Joyce has devoted much of her time to composing. One of these compositions is 'Homage to Waltzing Matilda', which Joyce has played as an encore to her recitals in six countries, and which recently was orchestrated by one of Hungary's greatest musicians, Istvan Bogar.

Today, Joyce continues to travel around the world on her hectic circuit of recital giving, and later this year to perform Rachmaninov in Hungary for release on compact disc. Further biographical references to Joyce Greer de Holesch can be found in: 'Who's Who In The World'; 'Who's Who of Women'; 'Who's Who of Intellectuals' and in the 'Dictionary of International Biography'.

Andrew Mackenzie

Left: Arthur Streeton - Above Us The Great Grave Sky, 1890
Collection: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.