10 finding aid(s) found containing the word(s) Musicians--United States--Biography.

  1. Mannes - Damrosch collection, 1848-1986

    approximately 1,800 items. 41 containers. 15 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Includes biographical materials, correspondence, writings, music, programs, clippings, artwork, photographs, awards, and other materials. Biographical materials include a copy of autobiography of Leopold Damrosch and memoirs of Marie von Heimburg, the aunt of Clara, Frank, and Walter Damrosch. Both items also exist in Damrosch-Tee Van Collection and Damrosch-Blaine Collection. The correspondence consists of letters between members of the Mannes and Damrosch families and other important correspondents, including Percy Goetschius, Franz Lizst (translation from the original), Daniel Gregory Mason, Sergei Rachmaninoff, John D. Rockefeller, Arthur Schnabel, Randall Thompson, and others. The writings contain primarily numerous literary works by Marya Mannes and articles by Leopold Damrosch, Clara Damrosch Mannes, Leopold Mannes. The music consists of holograph scores, parts, and sketches of compositions by Leopold Damrosch. Also included are manuscript copies of works by Heinrich Gottwald, holograph scores of Edmund Singer, and songs by Leopold Mannes. The Photographs consist of photoprints and 28 albums of photoprints chiefly related to Mannes and Damrosch families. The artwork includes portraits of various members of the Mannes and Damrosch families, sketches by Clara Damrosch Mannes, and photographic reproductions of sculptures of Marya Mannes.

  2. Cyrilla Barr research materials on Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, 1864-2000

    approximately 700 items. 6 containers. 3 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Dr. Cyrilla Barr (1929-2021) was a musicologist, author, and educator. The collection includes articles, correspondence, notes, photographs, and programs for the biography she published in 1998, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge: American Patron of Music.

  3. Charles Mingus collection, 1925-2015

    approximately 15,000 items. 76 boxes. 35 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Charles Mingus was a jazz double bassist, band leader, and composer. A prolific recording artist and pioneer in double bass technique, Mingus composed works that often incorporated elements of hard bop and gospel music and featured collective improvisation. The collection includes manuscript and printed music by Mingus; writings; correspondence; business papers; clippings; programs; publicity materials; photographs of Mingus, his family, and colleagues, such as Eric Dolphy, Dannie Richmond, Max Roach, Oscar Pettiford, and Miles Davis; artwork and artifacts; and sound recordings.

  4. Chet Baker materials from the papers of Diane Vavra, 1970-1989

    108 items . 2 boxes. 1.7 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Chet Baker was an American jazz trumpeter whose early success in the 1950s was due not only to his musical talents, but also to his model good looks. He rose to prominence as a member of baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's quartet and later established himself as acclaimed vocalist during the 1950s. Baker began an on-again, off-again relationship with Diane Vavra in 1970 and was with her during the last years of his life. The collection contains correspondence, photographs, and other items related to his personal life and career.

  5. Leonard B. Smith papers, 1859-2001

    approximately 202,260 items. 739 containers. 9 mapcase folders. 301 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Leonard B. Smith (1915-2002) was an American cornetist, concert band conductor, and band music publisher. Smith is primarily known as the leader of the Detroit Concert Band (1946- circa 1990), and the approximately 3,200 titles in the concert band library comprise the largest portion of the collection. Also included is a portion of the Ford Sunday Evening Hour Orchestra music library, method books, chamber music, cornet and trumpet solos, clippings, correspondence, photographs, programs, and writings.

  6. Seeger family collection, 1846-2023

    approximately 43,000 items. 270 containers . 22 mapcase folders . 136.5 linear feet. 6 microfilm reels . 5,882 digital files (213 GB). -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    The Seeger Family Collection documents the lives and careers of pioneering musicologist Charles Louis Seeger; his second wife, modernist composer Ruth Crawford Seeger; their eldest daughter, folksinger and songwriter Peggy Seeger; and her husband, playwright, singer, and songwriter Ewan MacColl through their music manuscripts, personal and professional papers, and correspondence. The collection also includes papers relating to the Crawford family and materials associated with Pete Seeger, Mike Seeger, other Seeger family members, and Seeger/MacColl family members.

  7. Jerry Valburn collection on Duke Ellington, 1924-1989

    approximately 1,100 items. 17 containers. 11 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Jerry Valburn was an avid collector of sound recordings and other materials related to Duke Ellington. The Jerry Valburn Collection on Duke Ellington consists of printed music, photographs, programs, promotional material, articles, clippings, and other items. These materials trace Duke Ellington's professional career as a bandleader and his rise as a prominent figure in the development of jazz and its history.

    Please note:

    Some or all content stored offsite.

  8. Shirley Horn papers, circa 1935-2014

    approximately 2,630 items. 27 containers. 2 mapcase folders. 14 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Shirley Horn (1934-2005) was an American jazz pianist and singer. A lifelong resident of Washington, D.C., she was classically trained before discovering jazz, eventually forming her own trio in 1954. After graduating from Howard University, she recorded an album that caught the attention of Miles Davis, for whom she opened at the Village Vanguard in 1961. After recording two albums produced by Quincy Jones, she performed locally while raising her daughter. She began performing internationally in the early 1980s. Her subsequent albums garnered one Grammy win and nine nominations. The Shirley Horn Papers document her life and career through printed music, business records, programs, clippings, and photographs.

  9. Marvin Hamlisch papers, 1933-2022

    approximately 4,580 items. 84 containers. 95 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Marvin Hamlisch (1944-2012) was an American composer, pianist, and conductor. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his work on A Chorus Line. The material primarily consists of music manuscripts, but also includes photographs, awards, correspondence, clippings, scripts, programs, and personal papers.

    Please note:

    Access restrictions apply.

  10. Hazel Scott papers, 1924-1986

    approximately 3,720 items. 15 containers. 9 linear feet. -- Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

    Summary:

    Hazel Scott was a jazz and classical pianist, singer, and actor. Materials in the collection include correspondence, writings, clippings, photographs, business papers, datebooks, and other items that document her career in entertainment and history of political activism.