Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

December 18, 1860 in New York City, NY

Death

:

January 23, 1908 in New York City, NY

Period

:

Romantic

 

 

Contemporary

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

 

Vocal

 

Edward MacDowell was an American composer and pianist who was born on December 18, 1860, in New York City. He was the youngest of five children born to Thomas MacDowell, a successful businessman, and Frances Knapp MacDowell, a talented amateur musician. MacDowell's parents recognized his musical talent at an early age and provided him with piano lessons from the age of eight. MacDowell's musical education continued at the Paris Conservatory, where he studied piano with Antoine François Marmontel and composition with Victor Massé. He also studied with Joachim Raff in Frankfurt, Germany, where he was exposed to the music of Richard Wagner and other German composers. MacDowell's time in Europe was formative, and he returned to the United States in 1888 with a strong foundation in European classical music. MacDowell's early compositions were heavily influenced by the Romantic composers he had studied in Europe. His first major work, the Piano Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 15, was completed in 1885 and premiered in Boston in 1889. The concerto was well-received and established MacDowell as a composer to watch. In 1896, MacDowell was appointed the first professor of music at Columbia University, a position he held until 1904. During this time, he continued to compose and perform, and he also became involved in the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), which was founded in 1914 to protect the rights of composers and publishers. MacDowell's most famous work is his suite for piano, "Woodland Sketches," Op. 51, which includes the popular piece "To a Wild Rose." The suite was composed in 1896 and is a collection of ten short pieces that evoke the beauty and tranquility of nature. "To a Wild Rose" is a simple, lyrical piece that has become a staple of the piano repertoire. MacDowell's other notable works include his Second Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 23, which was completed in 1890 and premiered in New York in 1903. The concerto is more complex and ambitious than his first, and it showcases MacDowell's technical skill as a composer and pianist. MacDowell also composed several orchestral works, including his "Indian Suite," Op. 48, which was inspired by Native American music and culture. The suite includes four movements, each of which is based on a different Native American melody. In addition to his compositions, MacDowell was also a respected pianist and teacher. He performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe, and he taught at the Darmstadt Conservatory in Germany and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Despite his success as a composer and performer, MacDowell struggled with mental illness throughout his life. He suffered from depression and was hospitalized several times for treatment. In 1904, he suffered a nervous breakdown and was unable to compose or perform for several years. MacDowell's health continued to decline, and he died on January 23, 1908, at the age of 47. His legacy as a composer and pianist lives on, however, and his music continues to be performed and admired by musicians and audiences around the world.

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