Gertrude Price Wollner (May 15, 1900 – March 1985) was an American writer and composer. Her teachers included Albert Stossel, E. Robert Schmitz, and

Emile Jacques Dalcroze Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...

. She married Herbert J. Wollner on April 2, 1926 and they had a daughter named Zelda. She published several articles about music education and one book, ''Improvisation in Music: Ways Toward Capturing Musical Ideas and Developing Them'' (1963). Wollner taught at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music Music school, conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The ...

, and

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

. She believed that "For any age, a childlike attitude and tenacity of search are essential, and rewarding. Not all “creative” music-making needs to be great music that lasts forever. Through the doing, something genuine occurs which enhances all future music experience for the individual." Wollner was an honorary member of

Sigma Alpha Iota Sigma Alpha Iota () is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its m ...

, the international music fraternity for women.

Selected works

Her compositions include:

Chamber

*''Allegro'' (oboe and bassoon; 1950) *''Cello Sonata'' (1946) *''Quartet'' (English horn, violin, viola, and cello) *''Trio'' (clarinet, violin, cello; 1950)

Orchestra

*Exaggerated Impressions (string orchestra and percussion) *Suite (string orchestra)

Piano

*''A Dance to My Daughter'' *''Impressions of Tour of Old Marblehead''

Theatre

*''After Paul Draper'' (1944) *''Caesar and Cleopatra'' *''Music-Narration-Pantomime-Dance'' *''Reed Drum'' (1940) *''Scarlet Letter''

Vocal

*"Poem" (text by

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

; 1937) *"These August Nights" (text by

Melville Henry Cane Melville Henry Cane (April 15, 1879 – March 10, 1980) was an American poet and lawyer. He studied at Columbia University, and was the author of the influential book, ''Making a Poem'' (1953). Early life and education As a Columbia Universi ...

; 1935) *We Catch a Fish (voice and orchestra)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wollner, Gertrude Price 1900 births 1985 deaths American women composers American women non-fiction writers 20th-century American women writers 20th-century American women musicians Boston University faculty New England Conservatory faculty New York University faculty Sigma Alpha Iota