MAHLER, Hellgart

Born in Vienna, her musical lineage traces back to 16th- and 17th-century Italy, where the Maler family (the "H" was added later) consisted of brilliant lute makers and players.
She began composing at a very young age. Listening to her mother play the piano inspired her to want to recreate those sounds, and she soon began improvising on various instruments.
Her formal musical education began after she moved to England due to the war. She studied under Richard Leonard Sturge and later worked at the Bucks School of Music with George Frederick Bailey and the English composer Philip Cannon.
Her compositional style is intuitive, spontaneous, and diverse, with an openness to improvisation.