RYBNER, Dagmar De Corval

Dagmar de Corval Rybner Barclay was a Swiss-German composer, pianist, and teacher who worked and corresponded with Sergei Rachmaninoff. She published and performed under the name Dagmar Rybner. Rybner studied music in Karlsruhe, Germany; Neuchatel, Switzerland; and New York. She made her European debut as a pianist playing the Schumann piano concerto under conductor Felix Mottl. After moving to New York, she played a Tchaikovsky piano concerto under conductor Adolf Rothmeyer. Rybner toured as a pianist throughout the United States, appearing at the White House and with the Metropolitan Opera House Orchestra, as well as with orchestras in Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and Russia. She also presented duo piano recitals with her father. Rybner worked as Rachmaninoff's assistant and taught at Barnard College, Columbia University and the Curtis Institute of Music. Eventually, she stopped touring as a pianist to spend more time composing. Her songs were performed by Mary Garden and Claude Cunningham. Rybner's works were published by Breitkopf & Hartel, Carl Fischer Music, Oliver Ditson, Luckhardt & Belder, and G. Schirmer Inc.