Arthur Shepherd (February 19, 1880 – January 12, 1958) was an American composer and conductor in the 20th century.

Life and career

Shepherd was born in

Paris, Idaho Paris is a city and county seat of Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States. Located on the western side of the Bear Lake Valley, the city's population was 513 at the 2010 census, down from 576 in 2000. Paris was settled on September 26, 1863, by ...

, into a

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

family. His family loved to sing and his father, William N. B. Shepherd, wrote the hymn “Give Us Room That We May Dwell.” Mormon Arts Center Newsletter, May 2017. Accessed May 22, 2017. Shepherd performed with both the Paris Brass Band and the Bear Lake Stake Choir. Shepherd entered the New England Conservatory when he was only twelve years old. After graduating with honors and as president of his class, Shepherd returned to his family who had moved to

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, and led a local orchestra for six years. In 1901, he married Hattie Hooper Jennings. After some encouragement, he returned to the east and took a teaching position at the New England Conservatory where he studied under Charles F. Dennée,

Percy Goetschius Percy Goetschius (August 10, 1853 – October 29, 1943) was an American music theorist and teacher who won international fame in the teaching of composition. Career Goetschius was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was encouraged by Ureli Corell ...

, Carl Faelten, and George W. Chadwick. He briefly served as a bandmaster during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. His marriage fell apart after his return from Europe and he moved with his children to Cleveland, Ohio. He took a job as the Assistant Director of the

Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Se ...

. In 1922 he married Grazella Shepherd. In 1927 he returned to teaching at the

Western Reserve University Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

in Cleveland. He retired in 1950 and died in 1958, after a failed operation at a Cleveland hospital. He composed over 100 works, including symphonies, string quartets and songs. Shepherd was a

Latter-day Saint Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

. Although around the time of World War I, his divorce and remarriage, he distanced himself from the faith, he maintained a faith in God and his connections to the church and his people. His work made reference to the geography and music of the Latter-day Saints.

Awards

* 1905 Paderewski Prize for ''Overture Joyeuse'' (orchestral work performed by the

New York Symphony The New York Symphony Orchestra was founded as the New York Symphony Society in New York City by Leopold Damrosch in 1878. For many years it was a rival to the older Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York. It was supported by Andrew Carnegie, ...

conducted by

Walter Damrosch Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862December 22, 1950) was a German-born American conductor and composer. He was the director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and conducted the world premiere performances of various works, including Geo ...

* 1909 First prize in the National Federal of Music Clubs for ''Sonata for the Pianoforte''

Works

* 1904 ''Capriccio'' (for piano) * 1904 ''Etude'' (for piano) * 1905 ''Overture Joyeuse'' * 1907 ''The Lord Hath Brought Again Zion'' (choral work with text from Doctrine and Covenants) * 1909 ''Five Songs on Poems by James Russell Lowell'' * 1909 ''Sonata for the Pianoforte'' * 1913 '' The City in the Sea'' ( cantata) * 1927 ''Horizons'' ( symphony)

Influences

His influences include

and George W. Chadwick,

Arthur Farwell Arthur Farwell (April 23, 1872 – January 20, 1952) was an American composer, conductor, educationalist, lithographer, esoteric savant, and music publisher. Interested in American Indian music, he became associated with the Indianist movement ...

, French Impressionists and Englishman,

Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

Selected works

* Ouverture Joyeuse * Horizons * Triptych * Piano Quintet * Matin Song * He Came All So Still * The Lost Child * Nocturn * Solitude * Where Loveliness Keeps House * Two-Step * Exotic Dance No. 1 * From a Mountain lake * Gigue Fantasque ARTHUR SHEPHERD selected works: Classical CD Reviews-May 2000 Music on the Web(UK)
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References

External links

Arthur Shepherd Biography at the University of Utah Marriott Library of Special Collections

Arthur Shepherd Biography from Allmusic

Encyclopedia of Cleveland article on Arthur Shepherd
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shepherd, Arthur 1880 births 1958 deaths 20th-century classical composers American classical composers American Latter Day Saints American male classical composers Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Case Western Reserve University faculty Musicians from Idaho New England Conservatory alumni New England Conservatory faculty People from Paris, Idaho Pupils of Percy Goetschius 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians