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Thomas Dunn (musician)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Dunn was an American musician and music editor known for his performances of Baroque music
. He is considered an important figure in the development of the modern Early Music Revival
and Historically informed performance
in the United States.
, was raised in Baltimore
, Maryland, the son of educator Wendell E. Dunn
and younger brother of chemical engineer-inventor Wendell E. Dunn, Jr.
. He was also the nephew of civil engineer Everett Dunn
.
He loved music even in childhood, and at about age 11 he was named assistant organist of a church in Baltimore. At age 16 he became the organist of another local church, and was named director of its professional choir not long afterward.
His musical and academic studies were at Johns Hopkins University
, the Peabody Conservatory, Harvard University
, and the Amsterdam Conservatory. His organ and harpsichord teachers were Charles Courboin, Virgil Fox
, E. Power Biggs
, and Ernest White, and Gustav Leonhardt
; his conducting teachers were Robert Shaw
, G. Wallace Woodworth, William Ifor Jones
, and Anthon van der Horst.
and Alfred Mann
as director of New York’s Cantata Singers in 1959, gaining notice for its presentations of larger works by Handel
and Rameau. That same year he created the Festival Orchestra of New York (disbanded in 1969). Concerts of works by Bach and Handel
at Carnegie Hall
in the early 1960’s furthered his reputation as a conductor of Baroque music.
This activity led to his appointment in 1967 as Music Director of the Handel and Haydn Society
of Boston
, a post he held until 1986. Under his leadership, the organization went from a volunteer oratorio society to a fully professional ensemble, whose repertoire ranged from early music to modern works.
, Stanford University
, and finally at the Indiana University
School of Music in Bloomington. After his retirement, he turned his attention to writing and composing while continuing to mentor younger conductors. He died October 26, 2008, in Bloomington and is interred in Green Mount Cemetery.
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
. He is considered an important figure in the development of the modern Early Music Revival
Early Music Revival
See Early music and Historically informed performance for a more detailed explanation of this topic.The general discussion of how to perform music from ancient or earlier times did not become an important subject of interest until the 19th century, when Europeans began looking to ancient culture...
and Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance is an approach in the performance of music and theater. Within this approach, the performance adheres to state-of-the-art knowledge of the aesthetic criteria of the period in which the music or theatre work was conceived...
in the United States.
Early years
He was born in Aberdeen, South DakotaSouth Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, was raised in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland, the son of educator Wendell E. Dunn
Wendell E. Dunn
Wendell Earl Dunn, Sr. was a noted educator, longtime principal of Forest Park High School in Baltimore , and President of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.-Early Years in South Dakota:Wendell Dunn was the son of Moncena and Lois Woodward Dunn...
and younger brother of chemical engineer-inventor Wendell E. Dunn, Jr.
Wendell E. Dunn, Jr.
Wendell Earl Dunn, Jr. was a chemical engineer, metallurgist, and inventor. His technologies for high temperature chlorination, gold extraction, tantalum and titanium extraction are still widely used.-Early years:Dunn was the first son of educator Wendell E...
. He was also the nephew of civil engineer Everett Dunn
Everett Dunn
Everett Wesley Dunn, was a civil engineer and labor negotiator. He was known for his work with the Iowa State Highway Commission, which demonstrated his knowledge not only of engineering but of financing as well.-Early life:Everett Dunn was the son of Moncena and Lois Woodward Dunn...
.
He loved music even in childhood, and at about age 11 he was named assistant organist of a church in Baltimore. At age 16 he became the organist of another local church, and was named director of its professional choir not long afterward.
His musical and academic studies were at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, the Peabody Conservatory, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and the Amsterdam Conservatory. His organ and harpsichord teachers were Charles Courboin, Virgil Fox
Virgil Fox
Virgil Keel Fox was an American organist, known especially for his flamboyant "Heavy Organ" concerts of the music of Bach. These events appealed to audiences in the 1970s who were more familiar with rock 'n' roll music and were staged complete with light shows...
, E. Power Biggs
E. Power Biggs
Edward George Power Biggs , more familiarly known as E. Power Biggs, was a British-born American concert organist and recording artist.-Biography:...
, and Ernest White, and Gustav Leonhardt
Gustav Leonhardt
Gustav Leonhardt is a highly renowned Dutch keyboard player, conductor, musicologist, teacher and editor. Leonhardt has been a leading figure in the movement to perform music on period instruments...
; his conducting teachers were Robert Shaw
Robert Shaw (conductor)
Robert Shaw was an American conductor most famous for his work with his namesake Chorale, with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Shaw received 14 Grammy awards, four ASCAP awards for service to contemporary music, the first Guggenheim Fellowship...
, G. Wallace Woodworth, William Ifor Jones
William Ifor Jones
William Ifor Jones , was a Welsh conductor and organist. Born into a large coal-mining family and raised in Merthyr Tydfil, Jones studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1920 to 1925. He studied the organ with at St. Paul's Cathedral, London; orchestral Conducting with Sir Henry Wood...
, and Anthon van der Horst.
Musical career
In the 1950’s he was a music director for several churches in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. He succeeded Arthur MendelArthur Mendel
Arthur Mendel was an American musicologist.- Literary works :* music critics on the "Nation" * editor of "The Bach Reader", 1945...
and Alfred Mann
Alfred Mann
Alfred Mann may mean:*Alfred E. Mann, , also known as Al Mann, an American entrepreneur and philanthropist*Alfred Mann...
as director of New York’s Cantata Singers in 1959, gaining notice for its presentations of larger works by Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
and Rameau. That same year he created the Festival Orchestra of New York (disbanded in 1969). Concerts of works by Bach and Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
at 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....
in the early 1960’s furthered his reputation as a conductor of Baroque music.
This activity led to his appointment in 1967 as Music Director of the Handel and Haydn Society
Handel and Haydn Society
The Handel and Haydn Society is an American chorus and period instrument orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1815, it remains one of the oldest performing arts organizations in the United States.-Early history:...
of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, a post he held until 1986. Under his leadership, the organization went from a volunteer oratorio society to a fully professional ensemble, whose repertoire ranged from early music to modern works.
Published works and later life
Many of his editions of choral music are published by EC Schirmer in Boston, where he was Editor-in-Chief in the 1970s. He held several faculty appointments at music schools in the USA, including Boston UniversityBoston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and finally at the Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
School of Music in Bloomington. After his retirement, he turned his attention to writing and composing while continuing to mentor younger conductors. He died October 26, 2008, in Bloomington and is interred in Green Mount Cemetery.
External links
- More on Thomas Dunn, includes an early photo and other information