Catherine Murphy Urner facts for kids
Catherine Murphy Urner Shatto (born March 23, 1891 – died April 30, 1942) was an American composer. She wrote many different kinds of music, including songs, choral pieces, and orchestral works. She was also known for teaching music and for her studies with the famous French composer Charles Koechlin.
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Catherine's Early Life and Music Journey
Catherine Murphy Urner was born in Mitchell, Indiana. She was the third of seven children. Her father, Edward Everett Urner, was a college principal who later became a minister. Her mother, Jessie Robertson Urner, was a writer.
Catherine loved music from a young age. She studied piano, singing, and how to compose music. She attended several colleges, including Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, the Peabody Conservatory, and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1912.
She continued her studies at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1918, she became the first person to win the George Ladd Prix de Paris for composition. This special award allowed her to move to Paris, France. There, she studied with the well-known composer Charles Koechlin from 1919 to 1921. She returned to Paris several times between 1923 and 1926 to continue her studies with Koechlin and to learn more about singing.
Teaching and Composing
From 1921 to 1924, Catherine worked as a professor at Mills College in Oakland, California. She was also the director of vocal music there. After leaving Mills College, she focused on performing, composing, and touring. She traveled in the U.S. and Europe, often with help from Charles Koechlin.
Catherine was also interested in Native American music. She collected tribal melodies and used them in her own compositions. In 1925, her first string quartet (a piece for four string instruments) was performed in Paris. It was played at the Salle Pleyel by the Krettly Quartet. A famous cellist named Pierre Fournier, who was only 17 at the time, was part of the performance. The concert also featured songs by other composers like Koechlin and Debussy, along with some of Catherine's own songs.
Catherine arranged for Koechlin to teach a course at the University of California in 1928. She then lived in Paris with Koechlin until 1933, and they worked together on many musical pieces. Their collaboration was based on deep musical respect and shared ideas.
In 1937, she returned to California. She married Charles Rollins Shatto (1908–1983), who was an organist and composer. Catherine Murphy Urner Shatto passed away in San Diego in 1942. Her musical papers and works are kept at the University of California at Berkeley Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library.
Her Music and Compositions
Catherine Murphy Urner created a lot of music during her life. Her archived works include more than eighty songs. She also wrote many Native American-inspired songs, twenty-four choral works (for choirs), and eight orchestral works (for full orchestras).
Some of her selected compositions include:
- The Bride of a God (written with Charles Koechlin)
- Come Away, Death
- Song of the Sea
- Song from "April"
- Le Papillon
- Quatre Melodies (a collection of songs)
- Ici-bas
- Colloque Sentimental
See also
In Spanish: Catherine Murphy Urner para niños
