Beach, Amy Marcy

(born Sept. 5, 1867, Henniker, N.H., U.S.—died Dec. 27, 1944, New York, N.Y.) U.S. composer and pianist. A precociously brilliant musician, she performed as soloist with major orchestras in the U.S. and Europe. As a composer she was devoted to German Romanticism rather than American themes or sources. Her best-loved works were her songs. Her Gaelic Symphony (1894) was the first symphony by an American woman. Other works include a piano concerto (1899), the choral pieces The Chambered Nautilus (1907) and Canticle of the Sun (1928), the opera Cabildo (1932), and a piano quintet (1907).