Amy Upham Thomson McKean

American pianist, composer

Amy Upham Thomson-McKean

Born|

Amy Thomson

22 February 1893
Died| 1972
Nationality| American
Occupation(s)| Pianist, songwriter, composer
Parents|

* Ralph E. Thomson (father)
* Anna J. Thomson (mother)

Amy Upham Thomson-McKean (b. 22 February 1893 d. 1972) was an American pianist, songwriter and composer. Amy Thomson's father, Ralph E. emigrated from Glasgow in Scotland as a young man. Her mother was Anna J. Thomson and she had one brother Robert Stanley Thomson.[1] She married Alexander Mathew McKean Sept. 17, 1917 at Lafayette Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, and had a daughter, Elaine (May 4, 1924) and son, Robert Alexander (September 25, 1918).

Amy Thomson attended high school in Boston where she studied with Felix Fox at the Fox-Buonamici School of Pianoforte at 403 Marlborough Street. She began to write compositions,[2] and studied with Bainbridge Christ and went on to publish songs and short works for violin and piano under both the names Amy Upham Thomson and Amy Thomson-McKean.[3][4] Thomson-McKean appeared on concert and recital programs in Brooklyn in the 1910s - 1930s.[5] She broadcast on Margaret Speaks on WOR NY in the 1920s.

Her papers are archived by her great-niece, artist Jamieson Thomas of Wilmington, DE.

## Selected works

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* "The Throstle" (text by Tennyson)
* "A Day in June"
* "Liebislied"
* "Tone Poem"
* "Bolero"
* "Chason du Soir"
* "Little Boy Blue"
* "Forever"
* "Dream in Town"
* "At Sunset"
* "Four Leaf Clover"
* "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"
* "Soul of Mine"
* "Memory"
* "Dream of Maytime"
* "June Rain"
* "In the Young World"
* "Love Song"
* "In Venice"
* "Prelude in C Minor"
* "Waltz in D Flat"[6]

## References

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1. ^ "Thomson Obit", Fitchburg Sentinel, p. 5, 14 September 1934, retrieved 4 June 2016
2. ^ The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York, 14 December 1919, p. 84, retrieved 4 June 2016
3. ^ The Song World, The Writer's Magazine, February 1914, p. 183, retrieved 4 June 2016
4. ^ The Music News, 2 January 1913, p. 32, retrieved 4 June 2016
5. ^ Brooklyn Life, 11 December 1920, p. 16, retrieved 4 June 2016
6. ^ "Brooklyn Musicians Give Works of Amy Thomson McKean", Musical America, vol. 31, p. 9, 27 December 1919, retrieved 4 June 2016

Brooklyn Standard Union, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 1928, Page 8]

Brooklyn Times Union, April 30, 1932, p. 27

## External links

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* Photo from archived works