Composer of the Month 12/2010: Edward A. MacDowell   (selected by Peter van Dessel / Belgium)

USA 13.5.1940 The American composer Edward Alexander MacDowell was born on 18 December 1860 in New York City. He studied in Paris and Frankfurt/Main, where he also played for Franz Liszt in 1879. After graduation, he spent some time in Wiesbaden and worked as a piano teacher at the Academy of Music in Darmstadt. In 1888 he returned to the United States. From 1896 to 1904 he was professor for music at the Columbia University. MacDowell's compositions, attributed to the romantic area, include two piano concertos, two orchestral suites, four symphonic poems, piano sonatas, suites and songs. Between 1896 and 1898 he also published a number of piano pieces under the pseudonym Edgar Thorn. Edward A. MacDowell died on January 23rd 1908 in Peterborough, New Hampshire. December 2010 mark his 150th birth anniversary. The video shows Luke Woolley with "The Hungarian Etude" from Edward A. MacDowell's "Twelfe Studies" (op.39). It was recorded at the Wiedemann Hall (Wichita State University, Fairmount St. Wichita / USA) during a music contest in 2008. More composers in the members only section