Ellsworth C. Phelps
Ellsworth C. Phelps (born August 11, 1827 in Middletown (Connecticut) , † November 29, 1913 in New York City , New York ) was an American organist and composer.
Life
Phelps, who came from a humble background, sang in the church choir of New London from the age of twelve. From 1846 he worked here as an organist. In 1857 he came to Brooklyn, where he was organist at the First Presbyterian Church in 1858 . He later worked as an organist in a number of other churches. From 1862 to 1900, Phelps was also an instructor for music lessons in Brooklyn public schools.
The first performances of his works took place in Brooklyn since 1858 by the Brooklyn Philharmonic Society under Carl Bergman . In 1878 his five-movement Hiawatha Symphony (after Longfellow) was premiered in New York under the direction of Theodore Thomas . After a second symphony, his opera David was published in 1883 . The last work performed during his lifetime was an overture dedicated to Robert Graham, the founder of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences . It was performed in 1897 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Emil Paur . Phelps also composed four symphonic poems, another opera, several cantatas, an elegy , choral works and school music.
Web links
- Internet Archive: "A history of Long Island: from its earliest settlement to the present time"
- Our American Music
- A Chronological Listing of Musical Works on American Indian Subjects, Composed Since 1608
- Sheet music and audio files by Ellsworth C. Phelps in the International Music Score Library Project
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Phelps, Ellsworth C. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American composer and organist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 11, 1827 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Middletown, Connecticut |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 29, 1913 |
| Place of death | New York City , New York |