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Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
On October 30, the Music Division musically celebrates the birthday of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge as Founder’s Day. Musicians who befriended Mrs. Coolidge sent her birthday greetings as musical scores, including Darius Milhaud, Paul Hindemith, Leo Sowerby, Sir Eugene Goossens, and more!
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Special Collections
Posted by: Paul Sommerfeld
The Music Division celebrates the 257th birthday of composer Franz Ignaz Danzi, and summarizes efforts to report rare holdings to RISM, the Répertoire International des Sources Musicales.
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Guest bloggers
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
Mississippi-born composer William Grant Still (1895-1978) holds a significant place in the history of American music, and May 11, 2020 is his 125th birthday! I hope that this birthday blog post piques your interest about the many research possibilities in the Music Division about William Grant Still.
Posted in: African American History, Birthdays, Composers
Posted by: Cait Miller
On Rossini's leap day birthday we highlight a Rossini manuscript for a recitative and sketch from his opera Moïse, held in the Music Division's Moldenhauer Archive.
Posted in: Birthdays, Composers, Special Collections
Posted by: Melissa Wertheimer
Did you know that two of the most famous violinists in history - Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Kreisler - are birthday twins? On Feb. 2, 2020, it will be Heifetz's 119th birthday and Kreisler's 145th birthday. You can engage with both of their legacies right here in the Music Division.
Posted in: Birthdays, Musicians, Special Collections
Posted by: Larry Appelbaum
Every generation has its saxophone heroes in jazz: Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane all continue to inspire players in every style on just about every instrument. One of the great saxophonists and multi-instrumentalists of this generation is the Chicago-born, Columbia, South Carolina-raised Chris Potter. For the past three decades he’s been drawing …