Harrison Potter
Encyclopedia
Harrison Potter was an American pianist and educator.
Potter was born in North Adams, Massachusetts
and studied piano with Felix Fox
, and, in Paris, Isidor Philipp
. Early in his career, Potter taught for a time at Boston's Fox-Buonamici Piano School. He also served as assistant conductor of the 301st Army Regiment Band during World War I. He performed widely as a recitalist and accompanist during his career.
Potter's recording of Charles Tomlinson Griffes' Piano Sonata is referenced in the 1943 first edition of Edward Maisel
's biography of Griffes, though due to its unavailability at the time of the second edition, other recordings were referenced instead.
From 1946 to 1957, Potter taught at Mount Holyoke College
. He was also the Chautauqua Institution
's Choral Director from 1948 to 1952. Potter also taught at the Felix Fox
School of Pianoforte Playing in Boston, Massachusetts and Sarah Lawrence College
.
He died in Holyoke, Massachusetts
in 1984.
Potter was born in North Adams, Massachusetts
North Adams, Massachusetts
North Adams is a city in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,708 as of the 2010 census, making it the least populous city in the state...
and studied piano with Felix Fox
Felix Fox
Felix Fox was a German-born concert pianist and educator.Mr. Fox studied piano with Carl Reinecke in Leipzig, and Hungarian-French pianist Isidor Philipp in Paris, and studied music theory with Salomon Jadassohn. Fox graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Leipzig where he made his debut...
, and, in Paris, Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp
Isidor Philipp was a French pianist, composer, and distinguished pedagogue of Hungarian descent. He was born in Budapest and died in Paris.-Biography:...
. Early in his career, Potter taught for a time at Boston's Fox-Buonamici Piano School. He also served as assistant conductor of the 301st Army Regiment Band during World War I. He performed widely as a recitalist and accompanist during his career.
Potter's recording of Charles Tomlinson Griffes' Piano Sonata is referenced in the 1943 first edition of Edward Maisel
Edward Maisel
Edward Maisel He was born in Buffalo, New York. He went to Harvard University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude; he was also Phi Beta Kappa. He was an internationally known writer on music and t'ai chi. He lived in New York City for most of his life.He wrote Charles T...
's biography of Griffes, though due to its unavailability at the time of the second edition, other recordings were referenced instead.
From 1946 to 1957, Potter taught at Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
. He was also the Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
's Choral Director from 1948 to 1952. Potter also taught at the Felix Fox
Felix Fox
Felix Fox was a German-born concert pianist and educator.Mr. Fox studied piano with Carl Reinecke in Leipzig, and Hungarian-French pianist Isidor Philipp in Paris, and studied music theory with Salomon Jadassohn. Fox graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Leipzig where he made his debut...
School of Pianoforte Playing in Boston, Massachusetts and Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
.
He died in Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
in 1984.
Recordings
- Harrison Potter, piano, "Five Sketches in Sepia," by Ernest BlochErnest BlochErnest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.-Life:Bloch was born in Geneva and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon afterwards. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe...
, Friends of Recorded Music, FRM-12 (78 RPM), 1937 - Harrison Potter, piano, "Piano Sonata," by Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Friends of Recorded Music, FRM-10-11 (78 RPM), 1937