Maria Lidka
Maria Lidka
Born: 1914
Place of Birth: Berlin
Arrived in Britain: 01/01/1934
Interview Number: 142 (S)
Interview Summary
Date of interview: 13/12/2006
Maria Lidka, nee Marianne Liedke, was born 1914 in Berlin. She left the gymnasium in 1930 to study the violin. She came to the UK in 1934 as a student.
She later changed her name to Maria Lidka and became a well known violinist. She was part of a Czech trio and played frequently in the lunchtime concerts organised by Myra Hess. She lived in London and had two sons.
Place of Birth
The Russians had this Revolution, and of course a lot of people had to leave, and he came. He was called Maxim Shapiro. Very fine pianist. And my father paid for his concerts in Berlin. To give him a chance. But he came to us regularly, so we had a lot of music. We had so-called musical evenings, you know where there were about 20 people or more and then somebody played. I think I also played later on. This Russian friend said, ‘You must be a violinist.’ I was thrilled. My mother said, ‘You want that?’ I said, ‘Of course I want that.’ I was 14 or 15. So I was taken out of school, from one day to another. My father was amazing in that respect. He said, ‘And the best teacher.’
becoming a pianist