Evening star., 1938-11-13
Sylvia Meyer, Horpist, Has
Many Accomplishments
Case Of Big Instrument Solves Dressing
Room Problem While on Tour
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
The opening queries In the old
ballad,

BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.
The opening queries In the old
ballad,
who is Sylvia? =
And what is she?"
might be answered in any one of
a variety of ways for the leader
ship that has been Sylvia Meyers in
the many and very different fields Of
activity wherein she has listed a
number of firsts among her ac-
complishments.
Supporters of Washington's Ma
tional Symphony Orchestra and
music lovers elsewhere know her
best as the organizations first
woman solo artist, with her golden
harp.
This season as the gratifying
result of the pioneer trail she has
blazed as the only woman solo
artist among . musical organiza-
ton Of 10 men, two other women
artists have been added to the
ensemble.
Asked how it seemed to be the only
feminine note In what had hitherto
been an orchestra of men, she re-
piled simply, 1T is 50 tremendously
thrilling to be a part of a great
group, playing great music under q
great conductor such as DR.. Hans
Kinder, that it doesn't occur to
you to take yourself into considera-
ton. one way or another. Your only
subconscious thought is to give the
very last ounce of the best there is
in you toward making your instru-
ment blend in with the whole SYM
phonic harmony"
Selected by Family.
Against the background of the
more than century-old Colonial
home of her parents at 1927 P
street NV, in old Georgetown. I
sought the answer from this product
of Washington's elementary and
secondary schools as to how her
artistry had selected the harp as
its medium.
There wasn't any special yearning
on my part to be a harpist," she
answered, in q bubble Of spon-
taneous humor. There just had to
be some one in the Meyer family
pressed into service to play the harp
that my mother had bought at the
sale of a friends effects in my native
Wisconsin, long before my birth,
with the thought that she might
herself some day learn to play it."
Years passed, with her home
making problems and the rearing of
my older brothers and myself alb
sorbing her. Then we moved from
Wisconsin to Washington at the
time my father became interstate
commerce commissioner, and the
harp, of course, came along too.
When the decision was made for me
to study musical instrument, the
family concensus was, If the harp
was ever to be used, I represented
the last opportunity for rescuing it
from its silence. Thereupon, at the
age Of Z, my serious study of the
harp began here at the Holy Cross
Academy. Personally I have never
been anything but grateful that my
musical instrument was chosen for
me. It is today the one above all
others that would have chosen for
myself"
Record Still Stands.
In Western High Scnool this girl,
who was destined to become a gifted
musician, not only secured the
schools diploma In three and q half
years, but her girls high Jump rec
ord for the District, obtained at this
time, still stands.
Leadership at the University of
Wisconsin, where she majored in
geology, seems just as naturally to
have followed. In addition to being
soloist with the university's con-
cert band, her participation in
hockey, basket bail and track won
her the presidency of the Women's
Athletic Association. For her out
standing contribution to the univer-
sity she was awarded the Edna
Kerngood Glickman prize for schol-
arship, womanlines& and service to
the community.
OF her college major in geology
she says, Perhaps 1t was indirectly
preparation for the musical career
which Is now mine. In most of my
classes I was the only girl, and that
situation prepared me a little for the
masculine world Of the orchestra in
which my devotion to the harp was
eventually to carry me-"
AM-American Product.
Sylvia Meyer, the harpist. Is a
strictly all-American product even
to her advanced training. After re-
ceivtng her degree from the Univeg-
sity Of Wisconsin she entered the
Peabody Conservatory Of Music Ia