Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-14

the United States of America
will give its first formal recogni-
ton in substantial way to the
memory of the great American
! song writer. The ceremony will
bring together especially natives
Of Georgia and PennSylvania-thc
latter being the native State Of
Mr.. Foster. A granite boulder will
be unveiled. The memorial is the
gift of Charles J. Haden of Allan
ia, owner Of extensive forest lands
on the SuWanee River. Capt. I.
F. Eldridge, manager of a large
pine products concern, with head
quarters in Pennsylvania, donated
the park site and has assumed the
task of caring for the memorial.
A pageant of historical charac-
tiers and scenes and radio broad
casting of the music will be fea-
lures of the event.
X X X X
| 4 MOTHER American composer,
"A one who is of the present era,
will be honored throughout the
Nation tomorrow when he cele-
brateS his SEVENTEEN birthday.
Frank van der Stucken, born in
Fredericksburg, Gillespie County,
Tex, is to be so honored. He or
ganized and conducted the very
! first concerts devoted exclusively
to vocal, instrumental and orches.
trail work of American composers
in New York 1885-87 and also at
the Paris World Exposition Of
1889. He also directed the first
tour of an American society i'll
Europe, in 1892. He was honored
with two decorations given him
by the King of the Belgians, and
he conducted a concert of his own
compositions under the protection
of Franz List, at Weimar, in No
vember, 1888.
The following data concerning
his achievements through bril-
liant career are as submitted by
Henry Holden HuSS, another
recognized American composer.
who is secretary of the Frank
van der Stucken testimonial COM
mittee:
us a result of the interest awakened
b his excellent performances of Amer
Il III music. van der Stucken gave four
additional American concerts in 1861,
wen all forms of composition from
sorg to a symphony and from chamber
music to instrumental concertos and
cantatas for soil. chorus and orchestra
we're represented by works of John Beck,
Arthur Bird. Dudley Buck. Willard
oh II
Dayas, F. Dewey, Frank Dessert, Arthur
Foote, w. w. Gilchrist Henry Holden
Hlss, Edgar S. Kelley, Edward A. Mac
Dowell E. S. Nation. Horiato w. Par
ker. John K Paine, E. B. Perry, E. G.
Phelps. Silas G.. Pratt, Herman RietZel,
L. A. Russell, Harry Rowe Shelley, Will
liam H. Sherwood, Templeton~ Strong,
Wilson G. Smith, Eugene Thayer, Frank
van der Stucken, Samuel P. Warren and
Arthur Whiting.
In 1889 van der Stucken conducted
the very first concert of American COM
positions in Europe, at the Paris World
works of j. K. Paine. Henry Holden
Huss. Horatio w. Parker, George w.
Chadwick, Frank van der Stucken and
Edward A. Mcdowell the latter him. /
self playing his own second piano con-
certo in D minor.
Subsequently van der Stucken
brought out many new European COM
positions at his concerts, and also
works by Henry Hadley, Fred S. Con-
verse. E. R. Koeger, John Powell, Hans
H. Wetzlar, DR.. Leopold Damfosch,
walter Damrosch. c. M Loefier, Vic
tor Herbert, Frederick A. Stock and
other native and naturalized American
musicians.
In 1892 he organized and led the
very first tour of an American musical
organization to Europe, when the New
York Arion Society gave most success
full concerts at Hamburg Berlin, Leip-
zig, Vienna, Munich, Stuttgart, May
ence and Cologne.
In 1895 he was engaged as the first
musical director of the Cincinnati SYM
phony Orchestra, which he led until
1907. Recognized as one of the lead
ing choral and orchestral conductors
of the world. van der Stucken succeeded
Theodore Thomas as director of the
Cincinnati May Music Festivals, which
he conducted from 1905 to 1912 and
from 1923 to 1927.
Realizing the great moral and ar
tistic value of higher musical train
ing in the public schools, he organized
an independent Cincinnati Children's
May Musical Festival in 1897, with the
assistance of progressive school board
and competent music teachers, in
which 1000 children's voices and the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra took
part. The success of this venture was
so decided that van der Stucken used
q children's chorus at all the festivals
he directed afterward, and the far
reaching results of well trained chill
dren's voices in important musical
works induced many other conductors
to emulate his example.
AS guest conductor van der
Stucken led several festivals at New
York, Newark, Indianapolis, Des Moines
and Antwerp (Belgium), besides great
number of concerts in Europe and the
United States.
In 1920-2l and 1922 he was en-
gagged in Brussels to direct the first
seasons of the Concerts Isaye" after
! the war
Van der Stucken was invited sew
eral times by the New York Philhar-
monte Society and the Boston and the
| Chicago Symphony Orchestras to con-
duct his own compositions, and many
of his vocal and orchestral works we're
successfully performed in Berlin, Wen
ma, Cologne, Brunswick, Hanover,
Moscow, Antwerp, Paris. New York,
Cincinnati and other American and
European cities.
Frank van der Stucken was named
Officer de INSTRUCTION Publique by
the French government and created
Chevalier de lOrdre Leopold and Of
ficier de l'Ordre de la Couronne by King
Albert of Belgium.
The dignity of honorary dean and
the title of doctor of music were be-
/ slowed on him by the Cincinnati Col
lege of Music, and he is member Of
the American Institute of Arts and
Letters.
The Choir Invisible
Has New Director