Frank W. Daykin III

Frank W. Daykin III died on June 22, 2023, at home in Sunnyside, Queens, with his husband Greg Lane at his side. He suffered from pancreatic cancer.

A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Frank was a pianist, teacher, musicologist, and writer. While his interests were broad and diverse, he was devoted to French music, particularly that of Maurice Ravel.

He performed and recorded the solo piano repertoire and collaborated in art song and chamber music performance, including with The Ambrosia Trio, the Gotham Trio, and many others. He coached and accompanied art song singers in the United States and internationally.

With Millette Alexander, he formed The Alexander & Daykin Piano Duo. They met at The Julliard School in 1979, and were coached there and privately by Eva Kovalik. Their partnership, which lasted until 2016, included performances in venues intimate and grand. A favorite series was presented by Friends of Music of Stamford, NY, of which Eva Kovalik was a founder. Frank performed there many times, as soloist, with Millette, and as accompanist to many singers.

Alexander & Daykin recorded two well received CDs for the Connoisseur Society: Paris Originals, for piano four-hands, and Bach's The Art of the Fugue, at two pianos. They performed The Art of the Fugue at Salle Gaveau in Paris, and the complete four-hand and two-piano music of Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc, and Milhaud in St. Germain-en-Laye, France, Debussy's birthplace. The duo made their Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1994.

As a soloist, Frank made his debut in New York at Weill Recital Hall in 1988. He performed the complete piano works of Ravel, on his piano, at Le Belv?dere, Ravel's house in Montfort l'Amaury, France.

Frank participated in the Festival Ravel in Saint-Jean de Luz for several years, where he studied with Jacques Rouvier. He served as music director of the Apollo Muses in Gladstone, NJ, and was on the faculty of The Chamber Music Conference and Composers' Forum of the East for 20 years, ending with his death. He was deeply involved with Les Amis de Maurice Ravel, serving as the authorized translator into English of Ravel's writings. Frank was a member of the advisory board of The Art Song Preservation Society of New York, and he regularly reviewed musical events for New York Concert Review.

In testimony to Frank's pedagogy, a tribute from the Art Song Preservation Society states: "As an assistant to the esteemed French song expert Thomas Grubb at the Manhattan School of Music, Frank worked tirelessly with more than 60 singers each week, imparting his wisdom and expertise. His dedication to vocal coaching and the art of French song was unparalleled."

Tapping his unique combination of performance, musical, and linguistic knowledge, Frank wrote The Encyclopedia of French Art Song: Ravel, Poulenc, Faur?, and Debussy. It was published by Pendragon Press in 2013 and is in hundreds of library and conservatory collections worldwide. He also wrote and published several volumes of poetry: What Cannot Be Erased; I Have My Doubts; questions remain; finding keeping losing weeping; bloodwork; Words Without Songs; and Islands.

Frank was born July 22, 1958, in Perry, Ohio, to Julie Daykin and Frank W. Daykin. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, Frank attended Westminster Choir College before going on to The Manhattan School of Music. Frank lived and maintained a teaching and performance practice near Lincoln Center for decades before moving to Queens.

Frank ran the New York City Marathon twice, along with several Turkey Trots, Gay Pride Fun Runs, and New Year's Eve 5Ks in Central Park. He was a member of Front Runners NY.

Frank and Greg were married for 12 years and lived happily in Sunnyside. Frank proposed the instant same-sex marriage became legal in New York State in 2011. In addition to Greg, Frank is survived by brothers Philip Daykin and Tyler Daykin. He leaves behind many beloved neighborhood friends and musical colleagues. An intimate celebration of Frank's life will be held in August.

Many thanks to the Art Song Preservation Society of New York and to Andrea Berger and Emily Toll of the Chamber Music Conference for providing invaluable information for this notice.

Cover photo: Peter Schaaf, courtesy of The Ambrosia Trio; Frank and Greg, courtesy of Greg Lane; Alexander & Daykin: Creative Commons; Frank at Ravel's piano, courtesy of Jeffrey Worsing.