Julia Smith (composer) facts for kids

Julia Frances Smith (January 25, 1905 – April 18, 1989) was an American composer, pianist, and author who wrote about music. She was known for her operas and orchestral pieces. Her music often mixed elements of jazz and folk music.

Life and Music Career

Julia Smith was born in Denton, Texas. She loved music from a young age.

Her Education and Early Work

She studied music at the University of North Texas College of Music, graduating in 1930. After that, she went to the Juilliard School in New York City. There, she studied piano and composition from 1932 to 1939. She also earned two degrees from New York University.

From 1932 to 1939, Julia was a pianist for the Orchestrette Classique of New York. This was an orchestra made up of women musicians. During this time, she also performed many concerts. She played mostly American music in places like Latin America, Europe, and all over the United States. She was especially known for playing the works of another famous American composer, Aaron Copland.

Teaching and Writing

From 1941 to 1946, Julia taught at the Hartt School. She even started the music education department there. She also worked with composer Cecile Vashaw on a series of books called The Work and Play String Method. These books helped students learn to play string instruments like the violin and cello. In 1945, she joined ASCAP. This group helps protect the rights of composers and authors.

Her Compositions

Julia Smith is best known for her operas and pieces for orchestras. All of her major works have been performed. Her music often included sounds from jazz and folk music. It also had influences from French music of the 20th century. Her style was very direct and clear. Even though her music mostly used traditional harmonies, she also used interesting dissonances. This means she sometimes used notes that sounded a bit "clashy" but in a good way.

One of her famous works is The String Quartet. This piece uses unusual rhythms and strong, driving beats. She also wrote two operas, Cynthia Parker and Cockcrow. These operas used folk music within a more traditional musical style.

The Opera Cynthia Parker

Cynthia Parker was Julia Smith's first opera. She really wanted to write an opera about a Texas story. The story of Cynthia Parker was very dramatic. Cynthia was a young girl who was taken by Native Americans. She was raised by the Comanche people and later married a chief. She had three children with him. Later, Texas Rangers found her and brought her back to white society. However, she struggled to adjust and eventually died.

In her opera, Julia Smith showed the differences between Native American and settler cultures. She used sounds that people often thought of as "Indian" music for the Comanche parts. For the white colonists, she used familiar and popular folk music from the American West.

Later Life and Legacy

Julia Smith received several awards for her music. She was also very active in many music groups. She led the Decade of Women Committee for the National Federation of Music Clubs from 1970 to 1979. As a writer, she published a book about Aaron Copland in 1955. She also edited a Directory of American Women Composers in 1970.

She passed away in New York City. Many of her original music papers, including her operas, are kept at the Music Library at the University of North Texas.

Selected Compositions

Here are some of Julia Smith's musical works:

• Allegiance: Patriotic Song (around 1918)
• Cynthia Parker, opera (around 1939)
• Stranger of Manzano, opera; with words by John William Rogers
• Characteristic Suite for piano (around 1949)
• Cockcrow, a short opera (1953)
• American Dance Suite for two pianos (around 1957)
• Remember the Alamo (with Cecile Vashaw) (1965)
• Two Pieces for viola and piano (1966)
• Trio-Cornwall for Violin, Cello and Piano (1966)
• Concerto in E minor for piano and orchestra (1938; revised 1971)
• "Glory to the Green and White", the University of North Texas school song
• Daisy, opera in 2 acts; with words by Bertita Harding
• God Bless This House from the American opera Daisy; words from a poem by Anna Hempstead Branch (around 1974)
• Five pieces, for Double Bass and Piano, with the double bass part edited by Homer R. Mensch (around 1985)
• Prairie Kaleidoscope: five songs for voice and piano, poems by Ona Mae Ratcliff, music by Julia Smith (1981)
• Suite for Wind Octet, (1980)

Selected Writings

Julia Smith also wrote books about music:

• Julia Smith, Aaron Copland, his work and contribution to American music, Dutton, New York (1955)
• Directory of American women composers, with selected music for senior & junior clubs, compiled and edited by Julia Smith, National Federation of Music Clubs (1970)

Teaching Positions

Julia Smith taught music at several schools:

• 1935: She started teaching part-time at the Hamlin School in Fair Lawn, NJ.
• 1940–42: She taught at Juilliard.
• 1941–46: She taught at the Hartt School, where she started and led the Department of Music Education.
• 1944–46: She taught at Teachers College of Connecticut.

Family

On April 23, 1938, Julia Smith married Oscar Albert Vielehr. He was an engineer and inventor who worked for the Gyroscope Company. They met at a concert.