Arthur Luck (Music Librarian, Arranger)

Born: USA

The American music librarian and arranger, Arthur Luck, began his career playing bass in the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra in 1913 until being called to service in World War I. Luck played in the U.S. Navy Band during the war. Unable to get a job in Philadelphia when he came back, he landed at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra sometime around 1920.

Arthur Luck became first librarian for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. His job was to hand write the parts for each instrument for each piece played by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, which at the time was directed by Ossip Gabrilowitsch, son-in-law of famed American writer Mark Twain. Luck, who started selling works such as Peter and the Wolf in the 1940’s, probably never dreamed his grandsons would eventually have a 20-year stockpile of the piece. Then again, he also probably never thought his ability to hand-write orchestra and symphony music would become Luck’s Music Library, Inc., a $4-million business that publishes and sells more than 25,000 classical musical works it supplies to more than 17,000 individuals and orchestras.

Luck's Music Library's illustrious history spans over six decades from its humble beginnings in the home of Arthur Luck, to its current location in Madison Heights, housing thousands of orchestral compositions from publishers worldwide.

Source: Luck’s Music Library Website; Scholarly Communication Issues: Issue No. 40 [March 25, 2003]; Bits & pieces from other sources
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2010)

Arthur Luck: Short Biography | Arrangements/Transcriptions: Works | Recordings of Works for Orchestra

Links to other Sites

Luck’s Music Library: About Us

Scholarly Communication Issues: Issue No. 40 [March 25, 2003]

Bibliography