Background
She was born Lottie Adelina Preston in Carlisle, Cumberland on 23 January 1872 to parents George Matthew Tilbury (aka Preston) of Southampton and Anna de Lara. Her grandfather was David Laurent de Lara, a Dutch-born illumninator, who, according to Adelina de Lara, was the son of the Spanish Count Laurent de Lara. Her mother was the sister-in-law of Sir Landon Ronald.
She was given the performing name of Adelina de Lara after a visit to a music shop with her father, to secure her first engagement.
The music shop proprietor considered the name Adelina Preston far too ‘English’ to perform under and thus suggested her mother"s maiden name as a suitable replacement.
Education
She was educated at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt under Iwan Knorr, and studied piano with Fanny Davies and Clara Schumann, whose work she championed for most of her life.
Career
She first appeared in public at the age of six, and gave recitals throughout the United Kingdom until the age of twelve. She was close friends with Johannes Brahms through her studies. As an adult, Adelina de Lara performed in public for the first time following her studies in 1891 and continued for over seventy years, making her final appearance on 15 June 1954 at the Wigmore Hall London.
She made many recordings for the British Broadcasting Corporation and appeared on British Broadcasting Corporation Television on her 82nd birthday.
During World World War II she played for Dame Myra Hess at the National Gallery and later in life, Sir Adrian Boult. In 1951 Adelina was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).
She composed many pieces which have included ballads, song cycles, some larger-scaled works as a symphony, a Concerto for Strings (1938) and a suite In The Forest (1949) and many works for piano including two concertos and a Symphonic Danse Fantasy for piano and Strings. There were also two suites for strings, including "In The Forest", which was performed in 2005, in Gloucester Cathedral by the Gloucester Academy of Music.
Adelina de Lara’s autobiography entitled Finale was published in 1955 and she died at the age of 89 in Woking, Surrey on 25 November 1961.
Some of Adelina de Lara"s descendants are also professional musicians. Her relations include:
Edward Hain, grandson and tenor. Great-grandchildren:
Kit Hain, songwriter/singer and one half of the British popular duo, Marshall Hain.
Tim Hain, Blues/Reggae guitarist, songwriter and author
Mim Hain, artist/painter. Jayl (also known as JC de Lara), singer, songwriter, poet and author
William District of Columbia Lowdell, singer / songwriter and producer. Gerry O"Riordan, music recording engineer
Great-Great-Great-Grandchildren:
Amy Roberts, Irish Trad pianist & concertina.
