Storm Bull
Encyclopedia
Storm Bull was an American musician, composer and educator. He was Professor Emeritus at the College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder
and Head of the Division of Piano.
. Both of Storm’s grandfathers were nephews of the Norwegian violin
ist Ole Bull
and were also first cousins of the Norwegian composer
Edvard Grieg
.
In 1919, Storm Bull began his formal musical training at the Laboratory Schools of the University of Chicago
, the American Conservatory of Music
, and the Chicago Musical College
. His teachers during this time included Percy Grainger
.
In 1939 he married Ellen Elizabeth Cross, the daughter of Celtic studies
scholar Tom Peete Cross
.
before an audience which included Nina Hagerup Grieg
, the composer’s widow.
In 1931, he studied in Paris
with Lazare Levy
at the Ecole Normale de Musique and at the Sorbonne
. Bull continued his musical training at the Liszt Academy and the University of Budapest
. He was the private pupil of the Hungarian composer
Béla Bartók
.
In 1939, he gave the first North American
performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Frederick Stock
. He performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
conducted by Douglas Clarke
and made his concert debut in New York City
with a solo recital at Town Hall.
Bull served three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II
in a precursor to the Navy SEALS. Bull was a Chief Specialist in Athletics, Underwater Demolition Team. Starting in 1945, he spent two years teaching at Baylor University
before accepting a professorship at the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1947. During his time at CU-Boulder, his students would include classical musician David Schrader and composer/pianist Dave Grusin
.
In 1954, Bull was honored as a Fulbright Grant Professor of Musicology at the University of Oslo
, Norway. In 1969, Storm Bull was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award for extraordinary contributions to the cultural life of the United States and Norway by the Scandinavian Foundation at the University of Denver
. After thirty years with the University of Colorado College of Music, Bull retired in 1977 as Professor Emeritus and Head of the Piano Division.
Storm Bull retired to Arizona
during 1996 and died at age 93 in Mesa, Arizona
.
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
and Head of the Division of Piano.
Background
Storm Bull, the only child of Eyvind Hagerup Bull and Agnes Hagerup Bull, was born in Chicago, Illinois . His family heritage included the musical traditions of NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Both of Storm’s grandfathers were nephews of the Norwegian violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist Ole Bull
Ole Bull
Ole Bornemann Bull was a Norwegian violinist and composer.-Background:Bull was born in Bergen. He was the eldest of ten children of Johan Storm Bull and Anna Dorothea Borse Geelmuyden . His brother, Georg Andreas Bull became a noted Norwegian architect...
and were also first cousins of the Norwegian composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
.
In 1919, Storm Bull began his formal musical training at the Laboratory Schools of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, the American Conservatory of Music
American Conservatory of Music
The American Conservatory of Music was a major American school of music founded in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt . The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It was located in Chicago until 1991 when its Board of Trustees — chaired by Frederic Wilbur Hickman...
, and the Chicago Musical College
Chicago Musical College
Chicago Musical College is a division of Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt UniversityIt was founded in 1867, less than four decades after the city of Chicago was incorporated...
. His teachers during this time included Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
.
In 1939 he married Ellen Elizabeth Cross, the daughter of Celtic studies
Celtic Studies
Celtic studies is the academic discipline occupied with the study of any sort of cultural output relating to a Celtic people. This ranges from linguistics, literature and art history archaeology and history, the focus lying on the study of the various Celtic languages, living and extinct...
scholar Tom Peete Cross
Tom Peete Cross
Tom Peete Cross was an American Celticist and folklorist.-Education and career:Cross did his undergraduate education at Hampden–Sydney College, receiving his B.A. in 1899. He went on to Harvard University to pursue an M.A. and Ph.D....
.
Career
In 1929, his debut as a soloist took place at age 16 in Oslo, Norway. He performed Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the Orchestra of the Oslo Philharmonic conducted by Issay DobrowenIssay Dobrowen
Issay Alexandrovich Dobrowen was a Russian-Norwegian pianist, composer and conductor.He was born Itschok Zorachovitch Barabeitchik in Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Empire of Jewish parents. He left the Soviet Union in 1922, and became a Norwegian citizen in 1929.He once played Beethoven's Sonata...
before an audience which included Nina Hagerup Grieg
Nina Grieg
Nina Grieg, born Hagerup was a Danish-Norwegian lyric soprano. She was the first cousin of composer Edvard Grieg, whom she married....
, the composer’s widow.
In 1931, he studied in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with Lazare Levy
Lazare Lévy
Lazare Lévy was an influential French pianist, organist, composer and pedgogue. As a virtuoso pianist he toured throughout Europe, in North Africa, Israel, the Soviet Union and Japan...
at the Ecole Normale de Musique and at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
. Bull continued his musical training at the Liszt Academy and the University of Budapest
University of Budapest
The Eötvös Loránd University or ELTE, founded in 1635, is the largest university in Hungary, located in Budapest.-History:The university was founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány. Leadership was given over to the Jesuits...
. He was the private pupil of the Hungarian composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
.
In 1939, he gave the first North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
conducted by Frederick Stock
Frederick Stock
Frederick Stock was a German conductor and composer.-Biography:...
. He performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
conducted by Douglas Clarke
Douglas Clarke
Douglas Clarke was a Danish-born English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler who played for Bedfordshire....
and made his concert debut in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with a solo recital at Town Hall.
Bull served three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in a precursor to the Navy SEALS. Bull was a Chief Specialist in Athletics, Underwater Demolition Team. Starting in 1945, he spent two years teaching at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
before accepting a professorship at the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1947. During his time at CU-Boulder, his students would include classical musician David Schrader and composer/pianist Dave Grusin
Dave Grusin
David Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
.
In 1954, Bull was honored as a Fulbright Grant Professor of Musicology at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, Norway. In 1969, Storm Bull was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award for extraordinary contributions to the cultural life of the United States and Norway by the Scandinavian Foundation at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. After thirty years with the University of Colorado College of Music, Bull retired in 1977 as Professor Emeritus and Head of the Piano Division.
Storm Bull retired to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
during 1996 and died at age 93 in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
.
Selected compositions
- Prelude for Piano - April 1928
- Caprice for Piano - December 1928
- Improvisations and Fugue on an Original Theme - May 1930
- Nocturne for Symphonic Band - June 1937
- Norwegian Folk Melodies - July 1937
- Green Bushes - June 1946