Marjo Tal was born in 1915 in Amsterdam. She studied piano with Nelly Wagenaar and composition with Sem Dresden at the conservatory in Amsterdam. A grant enabled her to spend three years in London studying piano with Franz Osborn. She performed as a pianist throughout Europe and in Israel. In later years she also turned to piano teaching. Alongside her chamber music Marjo Tal songs and chansons constitute a major part of her ouevre, of which a large amount was lost in the second world war.