Pioneering pianist and music teacher
Judith Wheeler, who has died aged 86 after a short illness, was a pioneering New Zealand pianist and much-lovedwellington music teacher.
Judith (ne´e Mcdonald) was a founding member of the New Zealand Piano Duo in the 1950s, along with fellowwellingtonian Shirley Power. She was also a respected piano teacher and accompanist who performedwith many of New Zealand’s leading instrumentalists, ensembles, and singers, for the Concert Programme and the Chamber Music Federation.
Judith displayed a precocious talent for the piano from a young age. She gave her first major public recital at the age of 13 at St Francis Hall in Wellington, before ‘‘a large and exceedingly appreciative audience’’, according to one reviewer. The review continued: ‘‘There are none of those flashes of brilliance often associated with a child prodigy to be observed in the work of Judith Mcdonald . . . rather she is ameticulous young player, painstaking and assiduous, calm and assured . . .’’
Judith’s strength of character and commitment to her craft stood her in good stead as she prepared to leave New Zealand to further her studies. On the night she was due to give her farewell concert, in 1953, her father lay close to death. Knowing he was unlikely to make it through the night, but also knowing how much he supported her, Judith decided to proceed with her concert, and performed to an enthusiastic audience. She never saw her father again.
Despite the fact she had never travelled outside New Zealand and scholarships were non-existent, Judith set sail for France at the age of 19 to study at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire with Yvonne Lefebure. She subsequently studied in England with Mabel Lander, a renowned piano tutor to the royal family and student of influential Polish pianist and teacher Theodor Leschetizky.
While living in London, Judith began performing with Shirley as the New Zealand Piano Duo. Thanks to a grant from the New Zealand Music Society, theywere able to continue their studies, give recitals and record for the BBC.
After returning to New Zealand in 1957, the duo toured extensively for the New Zealand Chamber Music Federation. They also broadcast frequently with the Alex Lindsay String Orchestra and the then National Orchestra.
A later period of study took Judith to Germany, where she studied with Kurt Bauer, amember of an influential European piano duo. The New Zealand Piano Duo’s performances were well received, and they were invited to record for severalmajor German radio stations. A grant from the Bavarian Government enabled them to continue their studies in Germany, and Judith graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Munich with a Performer’s Diploma.
Judith married Brian Wheeler in Wellington in 1965, and they had four sons. While raising her children her focus shifted to accompanying and teaching. In 1971, Judith became a registered music teacher and began a long career as one of Wellington’s preeminent piano teachers. In 2000, she became a Fellow of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers of New Zealand (IRMTNZ).
Judith’s teaching colleagues, some also her past pupils, remember her as ‘‘an exceptional teacher . . . she was exacting, but with such patience that she gently encouraged one to do one’s best . . . as a colleague she was always interested and supportive and was very loyal to the Wellington Branch IRMTNZ and Wellington Piano and Instrumental Group . . . she had a generous, modest nature and was awonderful rolemodel for us all’’.
Along with her oldest sister, Monica, also a piano teacher, and other family members, Judith helped establish the Fanny Mcdonald Competition in memory of their motherwithin the Wellington Branch of the IRMTNZ.
In celebrating her life, Judith’s oldest son said: ‘‘Your talent was inspiring, your love was always present, and your delight in all you did was infectious. Wewill never forget you, and you are always in our hearts and memories.’’
Judith is survived by her husband, Brian, their four sons and eight grandchildren. –