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Beatrice Witkin addition to papers

 Collection
Identifier: 2015-024

Scope and Contents

The Beatrice Witkin addition to papers collection ranges from correspondence throughout her professional career, biographical material, programs and events materials collected during her career as well as the copyrights for three of her works. The collection also holds materials from other artists as well as organizations she was a part of or worked with. Also included in this collection are some of her compositions and musical work in their early stages.

Dates

  • Creation: 1947-1993

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

University records - Copyright held by Wesleyan University; all other copyright is retained by the creator - In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted

Biographical / Historical

Composer Beatrice Witkin (1917-1990) was born in New York City. She attended Hunter College in New York and did her graduate work at New York University. She studied composition with Mark Brunswick, Roger Sessions, and Stefan Wolpe, and piano with Edward Steuerman. She was also the recipient of the ASCAP Standard Award, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Witkin was one of the first women to work in the electronic music idiom. In 1968, she was invited to work at the Electronic Music Studio at the New York University School of the Arts. Two years later, her electronic composition Glissines was a winner in High Fidelity Magazine's Electronic Music Contest.

In 1963, she helped establish the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, a performing group that commissioned new works. She was a guest composer of the McDowell Colony as well as a longtime member of the Women's Composers Forum and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Extent

1.75 Linear Feet (4 hollinger boxes and 1 oversize flat box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Beatrice Witkin (1917-1990) was an accomplished composer and one of the first women to produce electronic music compositions. This collection contains her correspondence, copyrights, writings and compositions.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into six series alphabetically. Each series is further arranged chronologically.

Series I: Copyrights and royalty statements Series II: Correspondence Series III: Events and programs Series IV: News and print materials Series V: Papers and writings Series VI: Oranizations and programs

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Witkin's grandson, Alexander Hurd, 2015.

Title
Beatrice Witkin addition to papers, 1947-1993
Status
Completed
Author
Erica Ciallela
Date
January 7, 2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives Repository

Contact:
Olin Library
252 Church Street
Middletown CT 06459 USA
860-685-3864