Robert Hall Elmore (Composer)

Born: January 2, 1913 - Ramapatnam, India
Died: September 22, 1985 - Ardmore, Pennsylvania, USA

The American organist, teacher, and composer; Robert Hall Elmore, was born in India of American parents. He studied with Pietro Yon (organ) and Had McDonald (composition), at the Royal Academy of Music in London (licentiate, 1933), and at the University Pennsylvania (B.Mus., 1937).

Robert Hall Elmore taught organ at Philadelphia's Clarke Conservatory of Music from 1936 to 1953, and Musical Academy (from 1939), and composition at the University of Pennsylvania (from 1940). He also was organist at various churches. His It Began at Breakfast was the first televised opera by an American composer.

Works

It Began at Breakfast, opera (Philadelphia, February 8, 1941)
2 tone poems: Valley Forge (Philadelphia, April 9, 1937) and Prelude to Unrest
2 orchestral suites: 3 Colors and Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Organ Concerto
String Quartet
Organ pieces
Sacred music
Songs

Source: Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20^th Century Classical Musicians (1997)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (March 2008)

Use of Chorale Melodies in his works

Title

Chorale Melody

Year

Chorale Prelude on Seelenbräutigam

Seelenbräutigam

Links to other Sites

Guide, Robert Hall Elmore Papers, University of Pennsylvania Archives

Bibliography