Interview with Margaret Nielsen

Interview with Margaret Nielsen, born in Hāwera in 1933.

Talks about her family's musical background and learning the piano from age five. Comments on being taught by Irish Catholic nuns at the Hāwera Convent School, then attending the Hāwera Technical High School where she was school pianist. Refers to learning the violin at high school and names her music teachers. Mentions attending a school holiday music school at Whanganui. Talks about training as a teacher at Christchurch Teachers College, studying piano with Ernest Empson, and returning to Canterbury University College to study music fulltime after an aunt left her some money. Discusses her musical activities in Christchurch, including with the Harmonic Society and the Union of Graduates of Music, tutoring, and teaching music at Christ's College. Describes going to Mills College, Oakland, California on a government bursary to do a masters degree in composition. Mentions teachers, friends made, becoming interested in food and in jazz, and performing New Zealand music there.

Talks about returning to New Zealand in 1959, touring with the New Zealand Opera Company, meeting Frederick Page, and being appointed a junior lecturer at Victoria University College in 1960. Talks about courses she taught, Jenny McLeod and Robin Maconie arriving as students, and difficulties between Douglas Lilburn and Fred Page. Explains how the performance course was introduced in the Music Department. Recalls the appointment of Jenny McLeod as Chair of the Music Department in 1970 causing tension in the department, and refers to subsequent restructuring of courses, teaching programmes, and management of the department. Recounts accommodation problems for the department when the Hunter Building was declared an earthquake risk. Comments on being elected to the University Council as a staff representative and support from some councillors for a purpose-built building for the department. Reflects on her retirement from the School of Music [1993] and continuing to perform for a number of years.

Other music activities: Describes the formation of The Page Group ensemble and of the NZBC Concert Orchestra led by Ruth Pearl. Recalls Don McKenzie and Douglas Lilburn establishing Waiteata [Music] Press, and the vibrant arts scene in Wellington in the 1960s with music, theatre and writers. Mentions she did a lot of broadcasting in the 1960s, premiering many New Zealand piano works in concerts, and composers writing music for her. Refers to touring New Zealand music and public reaction to it. Comments on doing radio broadcasts of New Zealand music in Norway, for BBC Radio 3 in 1982, and in Berkeley. Recalls being music advisor to Chamber Music New Zealand (CMNZ) for several years, and being on the Board of SOUNZ (the Centre for New Zealand Music). Describes the establishment of the Douglas Lilburn Trust in the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Recalls her reaction to the Hagley Park murder [of a gay man, 1964] and writing a letter to the New Zealand Listener about it. Recalls her association with Roy Jack and through this becoming involved with the campaign [by Venn Young] to decriminalise homosexuality, working with Tony Taylor and John Hardwick-Smith to try to get support from National Party MPs. Mentions becoming friends with Mario and Hilda Fleischl soon after she arrived in Wellington, and Hilda dying when Igor Stravinsky was visiting [1961]. Refers to marrying Mario in 1965 and his death in 1971.

Accompanying material - timeline of Margaret Nielsen's life; list of names mentioned (4 p.); printouts from Wikipedia of entries for Paul Hamburger (1 p.) and Mills College (5 p.) (both printed 17 Feb 2007); printout from SOUNZ website about Margaret Neilsen being awarded an ONZM in 2005; printout from VicNews 20 Jan 2005 including mention of Margaret Neilsen being awarded an ONZM (1 p.); printout of entry for Ernest Charles Empson from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography website (2 p.); photocopy of editorial from N.Z. Listener June 5 1964 commenting on the acquittal of six youths for the murder of a homosexual man in Hagley Park (1 p.) and of a letter to the editor by Margaret Nielsen on the subject (1 p., publ. June 26 1964)

Interviewer(s) - Roger Smith

Quantity: 1 digital sound recording(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 5.21 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-7123.

Search dates: 1933 - 2007

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLCD-1412 - OHLCD-1416