The New York Chamber Music Society, 1915-1937: A Contribution to Wind Chamber Music and a Reflection of Concert Life in New York City in the Early 20th Century

Author

Lisa Kozenko, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkFollow

Date of Degree

2013

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

D.M.A.

Program

Music

Advisor

Jeffrey Taylor

Committee Members

Richard Burke

Silvia Kahan

Catherine Coppola

Subject Categories

Music

Abstract

The New York Chamber Music Society, founded in 1915, was one of New York City's prominent cultural institutions in the early twentieth century. A vital piece of the classical music landscape, the Society played an important role in the city's development as one of the major artistic capitals of the world. The contributions that the organization made to wind chamber music repertoire and its mission to further the performance of chamber music in New York City are remarkable. The legacy of the New York Chamber Music Society is the works that were premiered or played for the first time in New York, especially those of leading New York City and American composers.

The concerts of the New York Chamber Music Society show founder Carolyn Beebe's visionary, innovative and forward-looking approach to programming as demonstrated by the wide variety of music performed during the Society's existence. Time and again, the remarkable accounts of the lives of the musicians and their virtuosity prove that she was able to assemble the finest instrumentalists available in New York City at the time. She was able to present new and unusual repertoire tailored to New York audiences, first in the renowned Aeolian Hall for nine seasons and then, switching to more informal salon concerts, in the Grand Ballroom at the Hotel Plaza for twelve seasons. Beebe believed passionately that chamber music was, alongside other fine arts, an important and essential part of a civilized and cultured society. To this end, she made a concerted effort to establish a permanent place for chamber music in the United States and her blueprint for success is still relevant today. Classical musicians of this and future generations can read her story, discover the hidden gems she uncovered, and realize the possibilities of this rich and enduring musical legacy.

Comments

Digital reproduction from the UMI microform.

Recommended Citation

Kozenko, Lisa, "The New York Chamber Music Society, 1915-1937: A Contribution to Wind Chamber Music and a Reflection of Concert Life in New York City in the Early 20th Century" (2013). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2557