Mary Gertrude Johnstone, known professionally as Moura Lympany, and born on August 18, 1916, in Saltash, Cornwall, England, was a concert pianist. She studied at Liège and the Royal Academy of Music in London. At age 12, Lympany made her concert debut with conductor Basil Cameron, playing Mendelssohn's "G minor Concerto". During World War II, she became one of the UK's most popular pianists, notably giving the British premiere of Khachaturian's "Piano Concerto in D-flat" on April 13, 1940. Post-war, she performed extensively across Europe and internationally, including a recital at Carnegie Hall. Lympany was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1969 but continued performing. She received numerous honors, including being appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1979 and made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1992. Lympany died on March 28, 2005, in Gorbio near Menton, France.
