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The American pianist, piano educator, writer, composer and arranger, Grace Sharp Castagnetta, was born in New York City; daughter of Francis and Grace (Sharp) Castagnetta. She gave her first public performance at age four. She studied at Woodridge School; was piano pupil of N. Elsenheimer in New York City; later studied at Hochschule fur Musik in Cologne, Germany (1928-1931); and the Curtis Institute in Phildelphia.
Grace Castagnetta was active as a pianist, improviser, teacher and composer. She worked as private teacher, piano and composition; and instructor advanced piano at Trenton State College; Adviser to faculty of music school Lighthouse for Blind, New York City She was a member of American Musicol. Society.
Grace Castagnetta was composer of Songs, Piano, Pieces; Arrangements of J.S. Bach (Jesu Joy) and Gershwin (Concerto in F). She collaborated with many well known authors and illustrators of the 20th century on musical books for children, including 7 books with Hendrik Willem Van Loon and a book with Virginia Lee Burton. Song of Robin Hood was co-created with Anne Malcomson, who edited, and Virginia Lee Burton, who designed and illustrated.
Works:
Good Tidings : A Musical Pantomime of the Nativity Story for Children (book)
Good Tidings ( # 3 in the series)
Hendrik Willem van Loon with Grace Castagnetta: The Songs We Sing ( 1936, Simon & Schuster)
Hendrik Willem van Loon: The Arts (with musical illustrations by Grace Castagnetta) (1937, Simon & Schuster)
Hendrik Willem van Loon with Grace Castagnetta: Christmas Carols (1937, Simon & Schuster)
Hendrik Willem van Loon with Grace Castagnetta: Folk Songs of Many Lands (1938, Simon & Schuster)
Hendrik Willem van Loon with Grace Castagnetta: The Last of the Troubadours: The Life and Music of Carl Michael Bellman 1740-1795 (1939, Simon & Schuster)
Hendrik Willem van Loon with Grace Castagnetta: The Songs America Sings (1939, Simon & Schuster)
Hendrik Willem van Loon: The Message of the Bells (with music by Grace Castagnetta) (1942, New York Garden City) |
