Musicians Foundation
Encyclopedia
Musicians Foundation
In 1912, an organization known as "The Bohemians" (New York Musicians Club) took the first step toward establishing a fund
for their fellow musicians by producing a concert
featuring several distinguished artists of the day.
situations. Dedicating itself to alleviating the anxieties of musician
s and their loved ones overtaken by misfortune, the Foundation provides assistance without regard to the age of the individual or the source of their adversity.
Today, the Musicians Foundation is a critical resource when emergencies occur. Many musicians require assistance only for a limited time, until their situations are resolved; a few are helped for the remainder of their lives. All count on the help of generous individuals, to allow the Musicians Foundation to continue to provide assistance.
enterprise in which is embodied a spirit which imbued the founder from the beginning, but which did not come into full fruition until the Club had completed five years of existence. By that time The Bohemians were so firmly footed that a desire found expression among its members for a permanent home. There were many men of wealth among the Associate Members, and it would have been a comparatively easy matter to raise money for the purpose of building or leasing a clubhouse
. The conviction was general that The Bohemians had come to stay.
But the idea had taken root amongst its leaders that a better use could be made of the Club's ability to draw on its potential capital, represented by the devotion of its friends and members, than to apply it to the temporal comfort of the members at their periodical meetings. This better use was the amelioration of the condition of professional musicians who had been overtaken by misfortune. Practical expression was given to the idea when contributions for the purpose came to be placed in the hands of the officers of the Club for distribution. So it was decided to organize a kind of auxiliary
of the Club for this express purpose, and on May 8, 1914, the certificate of incorporation
of "The Musicians' Foundation, Established by The Bohemians (New York Musicians' Club)" was filed in the records of New York County. The certificate was signed by Frank Damrosch
, August Fraemcke, Rubin Goldmark
, Hugo Grunwald, Sigmund Herzog, Ferdinand von Inten and Franz Kneisel
, and these gentlemen, together with Rudolph Schirmer and Maurice M. Sternberger, were designated as Directors to serve until the first annual meeting in April, 1914. With the exception of Mr. Schirmer and Mr. von Inten, deceased, (replaced by Mr. George Hamlin and Mr. Edwin T. Rice), they have been identified with the administration of the affairs of the organization ever since.
The particular object of The Musicians' Fund as set forth in the certificate of incorporation is: "To foster the interests and advance the condition and social welfare of professional musicians and to provide voluntary aid and assistance to professional musicians and their families in case of need, all in such manner as may be provided by the by-laws and not inconsistent with the laws of the State of New York or the United States of America."
At the outset it was the intention of the creators of the Foundation to rely largely upon public concerts to provide the funds which were to be applied to the purposes of the organization, and on March 3, 1912, nearly two years before the incorporation was effected, a concert was given for the purposes by the Kneisel Quartet
at the Hotel Astor, the programme of which was as follows:
The financial success of the concert was gratifying in the extreme and a year later, on April 28, 1918, a second concert given, this time in Aeolian Hall
, at which the programme was this:
1. Four Songs a capella
The Choir of the Musical Art Society, Frank Damrosch, Conductor
2. Pianoforte Trio in A minor …………………………………………………………………………………… Tchaikowsky
Ernesto Console, Mischa Elman and Willem Willeke
3. Three Songs
Mme. Frieda Hempel
, Max Liebling at the Piano
4. b Violin Solos
Mischa Elman, Percy Kahn
at the Piano
5. Part Songs, unaccompanied
The Musical Art Society
This concert marked a great stride forward in respect of public attractiveness and scope, but there was a still greater stride in the popular appeal when on March 27, 1916, a Gala Concert was given in Carnegie Hall
by Ignace Jan Paderewski, Pablo Casals
and the Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Josel Stransky with this programme:
1. (a) Prelude, Chorale and Fugue ……………………………………………………………………………… Bach-Albert
(b) Overture, "Leonore, No. 3" …………………………………………………………………………………… Beethoven
The Philharmonic Orchestra
2. Concerto in D for Violoncello ……………………………………………………………………………………… Haydn
Pablo Casals
3. Prelude, "Die Meistersinger" ……………………………………………………………………………………… Wagner
The Philharmonic Orchestra
4. Concerto in A minor …………………………………………………………………………………………… Schumann
Ignace Jan Paderewski
This concert was the most sensational incident in the musical season, and the public participation was evidenced by receipts amounting to over $10.000. The war having intervened to direct the charitable impulses of the people into other channels these concerts were temporarily abandoned; but not the benevolent impulses of The Bohemians and their friends. Voluntary contributions of large dimensions had been made to the fund, and they continued to flow in. At the end of five years the donations amounted to over $52,000, which from interests on investment
s was increased by over $9,000, and the disbursements applied to the assistance of needy musicians had reached the amount of $7.161.75. The funds are in the hands of the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company, as the official custodian of The Foundation and only the interest—but all of that, since there are no expenses in connection with the administration of the fund—has been employed for the purposes of relief. In a report made in April 1919, the statement appeared:
"Besides voluntary contributions from various sources the Musicians Foundation has received valuable accessions from the proceeds of concerts given for its benefit. This source of income of necessity ceased during the war and it was deemed inadvisable to deflect the public from important financial sacrifices which the demands of the war placed upon all patriotic citizens. It is intended, however, now that peace is in sight, to use every means to secure further financial support for the objects of the Musicians Foundation, which is greatly needed at this time, and will be increasingly needed in the near future.”
In 1912, an organization known as "The Bohemians" (New York Musicians Club) took the first step toward establishing a fund
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
for their fellow musicians by producing a concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
featuring several distinguished artists of the day.
Mission
For more than 98 years, the Musicians Foundation has "rescued" musicians and their families from emergencyEmergency
An emergency is a situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or environment. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening of the situation, although in some situations, mitigation may not be possible and agencies may only be able to offer palliative...
situations. Dedicating itself to alleviating the anxieties of musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s and their loved ones overtaken by misfortune, the Foundation provides assistance without regard to the age of the individual or the source of their adversity.
Today, the Musicians Foundation is a critical resource when emergencies occur. Many musicians require assistance only for a limited time, until their situations are resolved; a few are helped for the remainder of their lives. All count on the help of generous individuals, to allow the Musicians Foundation to continue to provide assistance.
History by H. E. Krehbiel
There remains to be told the story of a purely philanthropicPhilanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
enterprise in which is embodied a spirit which imbued the founder from the beginning, but which did not come into full fruition until the Club had completed five years of existence. By that time The Bohemians were so firmly footed that a desire found expression among its members for a permanent home. There were many men of wealth among the Associate Members, and it would have been a comparatively easy matter to raise money for the purpose of building or leasing a clubhouse
Clubhouse
Clubhouse is an American drama television series starring Jeremy Sumpter, Dean Cain, Christopher Lloyd, Mare Winningham and Kirsten Storms. The theme song is "Our Lives" by The Calling....
. The conviction was general that The Bohemians had come to stay.
But the idea had taken root amongst its leaders that a better use could be made of the Club's ability to draw on its potential capital, represented by the devotion of its friends and members, than to apply it to the temporal comfort of the members at their periodical meetings. This better use was the amelioration of the condition of professional musicians who had been overtaken by misfortune. Practical expression was given to the idea when contributions for the purpose came to be placed in the hands of the officers of the Club for distribution. So it was decided to organize a kind of auxiliary
Auxiliary
Auxiliary may refer to:* A backup site or system* Auxiliary input jack, generally for audio* Auxiliary verb* International auxiliary language* Auxiliary police* Auxiliaries, troops supporting the main force of an army** Auxiliaries...
of the Club for this express purpose, and on May 8, 1914, the certificate of incorporation
Certificate of incorporation
A certificate of incorporation is a legal document relating to the formation of a company or corporation. It is a license to form a corporation issued by state government. Its precise meaning depends upon the legal system in which it is used, but the two primary meanings are:* In the U.S.A...
of "The Musicians' Foundation, Established by The Bohemians (New York Musicians' Club)" was filed in the records of New York County. The certificate was signed by Frank Damrosch
Frank Damrosch
Frank Heino Damrosch was a German-born American music conductor and educator.-Biography:He was born on June 22, 1859 in Breslau, and came to the United States with his father, Leopold Damrosch, and brother, Walter Damrosch in 1871. He had studied music in Germany under Dionys Pruckner. He studied...
, August Fraemcke, Rubin Goldmark
Rubin Goldmark
Rubin Goldmark was an American composer, pianist, and educator. Although in his time he was an often performed American nationalist composer, his works are seldom played – instead he is known as the teacher of Aaron Copland and George Gershwin...
, Hugo Grunwald, Sigmund Herzog, Ferdinand von Inten and Franz Kneisel
Franz Kneisel
Franz Kneisel was an American violinist and teacher of Romanian birth.Born in Bucharest, the son of a German bandmaster, he learned to play the flute, clarinet and trumpet, as well as the violin...
, and these gentlemen, together with Rudolph Schirmer and Maurice M. Sternberger, were designated as Directors to serve until the first annual meeting in April, 1914. With the exception of Mr. Schirmer and Mr. von Inten, deceased, (replaced by Mr. George Hamlin and Mr. Edwin T. Rice), they have been identified with the administration of the affairs of the organization ever since.
The particular object of The Musicians' Fund as set forth in the certificate of incorporation is: "To foster the interests and advance the condition and social welfare of professional musicians and to provide voluntary aid and assistance to professional musicians and their families in case of need, all in such manner as may be provided by the by-laws and not inconsistent with the laws of the State of New York or the United States of America."
At the outset it was the intention of the creators of the Foundation to rely largely upon public concerts to provide the funds which were to be applied to the purposes of the organization, and on March 3, 1912, nearly two years before the incorporation was effected, a concert was given for the purposes by the Kneisel Quartet
Kneisel quartet
The Kneisel Quartet was a string quartet musical ensemble established in Boston, USA in 1885. It existed until 1917, and in its time became recognised as the leading string quartet in the United States. It also performed in Europe.-Personnel:...
at the Hotel Astor, the programme of which was as follows:
| 1. | SONATA FOR VIOLONCELLO | Corelli |
| Willem Willeke, Sigmund Herzog at the Piano | ||
| 2. | PIANOFORTE SOLOS: | |
| (a) "Auf Flugeln des Gesanges" | Mendelssohn-Liszt | |
| (b) Etude | Liadow | |
| (c) Reminiscences de "Robert le Diable" | Meyerbeer-Liszt | |
| Josef Lhévinne Josef Lhévinne Josef Lhévinne was a Russian pianist and piano teacher.Joseph Arkadievich Levin was born into a family of musicians in Oryol and studied at the Imperial Conservatory in Moscow under Vasily Safonov... |
||
| 3. | SONGS: | |
| (a) "Die Lotosblume Die Lotosblume "Die Lotosblume", or "The Lotos-Flower", is a poem written by Heinrich Heine which was put to music by Robert Schumann in 1840. This Lied is part of Schumann's Myrthen collection ) and Six Song for Männerchor . The piece speaks of the blooming of the Lotosflower and how it is at night that it... " |
Schumann | |
| (b) "Gretchen am Spinnrade Gretchen am Spinnrade Gretchen am Spinnrade is a selection of text from Goethe's Faust. It was set by Schubert in 1814, Op.2, D 118, and was his first successful Lied... " |
Schubert | |
| (c) "Von Ewiger Liebe" | Brahms | |
| Mme. Margaret Matzenauer, Sigmund Herzog at the Piano | ||
| 4. | STRING QUARTETS: | |
| (a) Andante con moto e Variazione | Schubert | |
| (From the Quartet in D minor) | ||
| (b) Italian Serenade | Hugo Wolf Hugo Wolf Hugo Wolf was an Austrian composer of Slovene origin, particularly noted for his art songs, or lieder. He brought to this form a concentrated expressive intensity which was unique in late Romantic music, somewhat related to that of the Second Viennese School in concision but utterly unrelated in... |
|
| The Kneisel Quartet | ||
| 5. | SONGS: | |
| (a) "Gesang Weylas" | Hugo Wolf | |
| (b) "Liezesfeier" | Weingartner | |
| (c) "Heimliche Aufforderung Heimliche Aufforderung Heimliche Aufforderung, Op. 27 No. 3, is one of a set of four songs composed by Richard Strauss in 1894. It was originally for voice and piano, and not orchestrated by Strauss until 1948, a year before his death... " |
Strauss | |
| Mme. Matzenauer | ||
| 6. | SEPTET, Op. 20 | Beethoven |
| The Kneisel Quartet and Leon Lerov, Benjamin Kohon, Xaver Reitcr, Ludwig Manoly |
The financial success of the concert was gratifying in the extreme and a year later, on April 28, 1918, a second concert given, this time in Aeolian Hall
Aeolian Hall (New York)
Aeolian Hall was a concert hall near Times Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York City located on the third floor of 29-33 West 42nd Street across the street from Bryant Park. The Aeolian Building was built in 1912 for the Aeolian Company, which manufactured pianos...
, at which the programme was this:
1. Four Songs a capella
The Choir of the Musical Art Society, Frank Damrosch, Conductor
2. Pianoforte Trio in A minor …………………………………………………………………………………… Tchaikowsky
Ernesto Console, Mischa Elman and Willem Willeke
3. Three Songs
Mme. Frieda Hempel
Frieda Hempel
Frieda Hempel was a German soprano singer in operatic and concert work who had an international career in Europe and the United States.-Biography:...
, Max Liebling at the Piano
4. b Violin Solos
Mischa Elman, Percy Kahn
Percy Kahn
Percival Benedict Kahn was an English composer and pianist. His most noted composition was the song Ave Maria with accompaniment by piano, and violin obbligato.Kahn was born in London in 1880...
at the Piano
5. Part Songs, unaccompanied
The Musical Art Society
This concert marked a great stride forward in respect of public attractiveness and scope, but there was a still greater stride in the popular appeal when on March 27, 1916, a Gala Concert was given in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
by Ignace Jan Paderewski, Pablo Casals
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time...
and the Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Josel Stransky with this programme:
1. (a) Prelude, Chorale and Fugue ……………………………………………………………………………… Bach-Albert
(b) Overture, "Leonore, No. 3" …………………………………………………………………………………… Beethoven
The Philharmonic Orchestra
2. Concerto in D for Violoncello ……………………………………………………………………………………… Haydn
Pablo Casals
3. Prelude, "Die Meistersinger" ……………………………………………………………………………………… Wagner
The Philharmonic Orchestra
4. Concerto in A minor …………………………………………………………………………………………… Schumann
Ignace Jan Paderewski
This concert was the most sensational incident in the musical season, and the public participation was evidenced by receipts amounting to over $10.000. The war having intervened to direct the charitable impulses of the people into other channels these concerts were temporarily abandoned; but not the benevolent impulses of The Bohemians and their friends. Voluntary contributions of large dimensions had been made to the fund, and they continued to flow in. At the end of five years the donations amounted to over $52,000, which from interests on investment
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
s was increased by over $9,000, and the disbursements applied to the assistance of needy musicians had reached the amount of $7.161.75. The funds are in the hands of the Farmers' Loan and Trust Company, as the official custodian of The Foundation and only the interest—but all of that, since there are no expenses in connection with the administration of the fund—has been employed for the purposes of relief. In a report made in April 1919, the statement appeared:
"Besides voluntary contributions from various sources the Musicians Foundation has received valuable accessions from the proceeds of concerts given for its benefit. This source of income of necessity ceased during the war and it was deemed inadvisable to deflect the public from important financial sacrifices which the demands of the war placed upon all patriotic citizens. It is intended, however, now that peace is in sight, to use every means to secure further financial support for the objects of the Musicians Foundation, which is greatly needed at this time, and will be increasingly needed in the near future.”