Betty Freeman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betty Freeman
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| Born | 2 June 1921 Chicago, Illinois, US
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| Died | 3 January 2009 |
| Occupation | arts patron, photographer |
Betty Freeman (born June 2, 1921 – died January 3, 2009) was an American who loved and supported the arts. She was a generous helper of artists and a talented photographer.
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About Betty Freeman
Betty Freeman was born in Chicago, Illinois. When she was three, her family moved to Brooklyn, and later to New Rochelle, New York. She went to New Rochelle High School. Her father was a chemical engineer, and her mother was a math teacher.
Betty went to Wellesley College and studied English literature and music. For twenty years, she trained to be a concert pianist, practicing many hours every day. But in the mid-1960s, she decided to help manage concerts instead.
She married Stanley Freeman and they had four children. Later, she married Franco Assetto, an Italian artist. They split their time between Beverly Hills and Turin, Italy, until his death.
Supporting Music and Artists
Betty Freeman was a huge fan of modern music. She gave money and helped many American composers early in their careers. Some of the famous composers she helped include Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams.
Many composers dedicated their music to her. For example, John Cage dedicated his Freeman Etudes to Betty. Steve Reich dedicated two pieces to her: Variations for Winds, Strings, and Keyboards and Vermont Counterpoint. Also, John Adams dedicated his opera Nixon in China to her.
In 1979, a special musical instrument called an American gamelan was named "Si Betty" after her. A gamelan is a group of instruments, mostly percussion, from Indonesia.
Starting in 1981, Betty hosted musical events at her home in Beverly Hills. These events continued until after her second husband passed away.
Photography and Books
Betty Freeman also became interested in photography. She helped fund a movie in 1973 about a composer named Harry Partch.
She wrote books about American artists like Clyfford Still and Sam Francis. She also collected art herself. The famous artist David Hockney even painted her in his work Beverly Hills Housewife.
Betty Freeman had four children: Shelley Butler, Claudia Brotman, Robert Freeman, and Corey Freeman.
Books by Betty Freeman
- 1996 – Music People & Others: 99 Photographs From the Contemporary Music World. This book showed her photographs of musicians. It was published with an art show in London.
Films About Betty Freeman
- 1995 – Musical Outsiders: An American Legacy - Harry Partch, Lou Harrison, and Terry Riley. This film was directed by Michael Blackwood.
- 2005 – Betty Freeman: A Life for the Unknown. This film was directed by Paul Fenkart.
