Dame Myra Hess

The best pianists are generally recognized for their abilities. They have a knack for infusing emotion into the music that we can all relate to. Myra Hess, on the other hand, became known for more than this. She began taking lessons at a young age, as the majority of the musicians on this list. She went on to the Guildhall School of Music and, subsequently, the Royal Academy of Music to further her education. She traveled extensively, receiving praise as a soloist and as a member of ensembles.

Hess's true inspirational period occurred during World War II. She planned lunchtime concerts after realizing that events were being canceled owing to blackout laws. Hess herself performed 150 of them at the National Gallery in London, which hosted the event. Myra Hess was awarded the title of Dame Commander of the British Empire as a result (DBE). Hess resigned after a stroke in 1961 and gave her final concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London. She died of a heart attack in 1965, but her Mozart, Bach, and Schumann interpretations live on.

Born: February 25, 1890
Died: November 25, 1965
Aged: 75
Nationality: English