Fonds RC0674 - William Humphreys Dayas fonds

William Humphreys Dayas, pianist and composer, was born in New York of English parents in 1863 and orphaned at an early age. He studied organ and composition, and travelled to Germany in 1881 where he eventually became a pupil of Franz Liszt. Although he was a gifted pianist, he was not totally comfortable on the stage; he devoted himself to teaching. He taught at several conservatories throughout Europe and in 1896 was appointed principal professor of pianoforte at the Royal Manchester College of Music in England. He championed the music of Liszt, as well as publishing a number of his own compositions, primarily in Germany. He died in 1903 in Manchester.