Hewitt’s father was a distinguished organist from Yorkshire. When offered the choice of being assistant organist at Westminster Abbey or organist of Ottawa Cathedral he chose the latter, leaving England in 1931. As a child Angela Hewitt also played the violin and recorder, and took ballet lessons, but her first piano recital was nevertheless given at the age of seven where she played Bach inventions. From the age of six Hewitt studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Ottawa, remaining for nine years and graduating at eighteen with a Bachelor of Music degree. Hewitt then studied with Jean-Paul Sevilla at the University of Ottawa, although she credits her father for having had most musical influence on her. Two years later she decided to go to Paris, ...