Rubin Goldmark

Rubin Goldmark (August 15, 1872 – March 6, 1936) was an American

After the conclusion of his studies in Vienna, Goldmark returned to United States. From 1891 to 1893 he taught piano and music theory at the National Conservatory in New York City. While in New York, Goldmark also studied composition with Antonín Dvořák and piano with Rafael Joseffy. Goldmark moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, hoping to improve his poor health,^[1] and was the director of the Colorado Conservatory of Music from 1895 to 1901.^[2]

Upon Goldmark's return to New York in 1902, he focused much of his energy on teaching. Over the 30-year period that Goldmark remained in New York he gave over five hundred lectures on music, music theory, and composition. That is not to say he ceased composing all together – while Goldmark's music lies out of the standard repertoire of the twentieth century, he was highly regarded by his contemporaries. He was also the founder and frequent speaker at The Bohemians, a New York musicians' club.

Teaching career

While Goldmark began his career as a composer and pianist, he is best known for his work as a teacher. When not lecturing, or composing, however, Goldmark taught several private students. Famously, Goldmark taught a fifteen-year-old Aaron Copland and the young George Gershwin. Though Copland was often critical of Goldmark because he found him "too pedantic and academic", Goldmark gave Copland a strong foundation which Copland would rely upon for the rest of his career (Howard, 252).

The young George Gershwin also turned to Goldmark during the composition of his piano

Other notable students include composers Fannie Charles Dillon, Sammy Timberg, Vittorio Giannini, Frederick Jacobi and Alexei Haieff.^[3]

Musical works

Though seldom performed today, Goldmark's music was performed regularly during his lifetime. In fact, his Negro Rhapsody was among the most performed pieces in the seven years following

References

• Baker, Theodore; Slonimsky, Nicolas, eds. (1992), "Goldmark, Rubin", Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (Eighth ed.), New York: Schirmer Books, p. 644,
  ISBN 0-02-872415-1
• Howard, John Tasker (June 1967). A Short History of Music in America (1 ed.). Apollo Editions.
  ISBN 0-8152-0162-1
  .
• ISBN 0-943818-36-2
• Saleski, Gdal (1927). Famous Musicians of a Wandering Race. Kessinger Publishing.
  ISBN 978-1-4286-2516-7
  .

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rubin Goldmark.

• Free scores by Rubin Goldmark at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)