Meyer, Sylvia (Harpist)

Sylvia Meyer (1907-2005) was a prominent harpist of the 20th century. She studied under Carlos Salzedo and was the first female member of the National Symphony Orchestra.

Sylvia Meyer was born in Madison, Wisconsin, November 23, 1907. Shortly thereafter, she moved to Washington because of her father's job. Sylvia got her start on the harp when her mother, an antique collector, brought home a $2.50 harp that was rusting and was missing the base and pedals. Her parents thought it was important to play an instrument, and she started playing at age seven. She then began studying at a local conservatory in Washington and eventually went on to graduate from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. She was also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where she majored in geology. She studied with Carlos Salzedo at his summer school in Camden, Maine. Salzedo then recommended her to the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) where she became the first female member in 1933. Sylvia played with the orchestra for decades before losing a fingertip in a gardening accident with pruning shears. Because of the extended medical leave caused by this accident, she was replaced by Ann Hobson-Pilot and was forced into retirement. Sylvia was married to Oliver Gasch, a former judge on the U.S. District Court, until he died in 1999. Six years later, she died of pneumonia at Suburban Hospital on March 26, 2005. She was ninety-seven years old.

From the guide to the Sylvia Meyer papers, approximately 1930-2001, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)