Marian Mac Dowell - Life and Education

Life and Education

Marian Griswold Nevins was born in New York City, the third of five children born to David H. Nevins, a Wall Street banker, and his wife, Cornelia L. Perkins. When she was eight, her mother died in childbirth. Her aunt Caroline Perkins of South Carolina was a talented musician who came to New York to teach piano. She recognized her niece's gifts and encouraged them. As Marian grew older, she realized she needed to study in Europe, a basis for being taken seriously as a performer or artist. With a chaperone, she left for Frankfurt in 1880 intending to study with Clara Schumann at the Hoch Conservatory. Finding that Clara Schumann was away, Nevins asked for advice in getting another teacher and was referred to Edward MacDowell, a young American composer. After working together for several years, they decided to marry. Marian Nevins married MacDowell on July 24, 1884. From the beginning she had great faith in his talent and wanted him to devote himself to composing. They had one child who was stillborn.

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