Frederick Niecks

(1845-1924)
Reid Professor of Music at the University of Edinburgh

Frederick Niecks was born in Düsseldorf and educated at the University of Leipzig where he studied violin, piano and composition. He taught music in his native city until 1868, when he moved to Scotland to teach and to write for musical journals. He held the Reid Chair from 1891 until his retirement in 1914, when he was succeeded by Donald Tovey. He married Christina Struthers, the daughter of Sir John Struthers, Secretary of the Scottish Education Department from 1904 until 1921.

Mrs Niecks died in 1944, bequeathing books from her and her late husband's library, together with autograph letters from Chopin, Liszt and Clara Schumann and pencil portraits of Chopin.