Robertson, Leroy J.

Leroy J. Robertson was born in Fountain Green, Utah, on 21 December 1896, the son of Utah-born Mormon parents. His first musical experiences were simple and personal--he fashioned tunes on a homemade fiddle and played by ear on the parlor organ in his home. In grammar school, after a few rudimentary music lessons, he organized a small orchestra of young friends and taught them to play music of his own devising. He graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in boston under George Whitefield Chadwick in 1923. His later studies were under Ernest Bloch in San Francisco and in Roveredo Capriasca, Switzerland; Hugo Leichtentritt in Berlin; and Arnold Schoenberg in Los Angeles. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Brigham Young University (BYU) and Ph.D. degree from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He was professor and chairman of the music department at BYU; lecturer of composition at the University of California, Los Angeles; and professor and chairman of the music department at the University of Utah from 1948 until his retirement in 1964. Upon retirement, Robertson received the first Distinguished Research Professorship at that institution. Robertson was an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa; a fellow of the Utah Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters; a member of the Executive Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishrs (ASCAP). Robertson's compositions include works for chamber music and orchestra; concertos for violin, cello, and piano; solos, vocal, and instrumental; choral compositions and an Oratorio from the Book of Mormon for chorus, soloists, organ, and orchestra. While the Reichhold prize for his Trilogy was by far the most impressive, Robertson has a long list of other awards to hs credit. In 1923, he won the Endicott prize for his Overture in E Minor ; his Quintet in A Minor for Piano and Strings won first place in a contest conducted by the Society for Publicaiton of American Music in 1936; his String Quartet was chosen by the Critics Circle in New York in 1944; and his Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra was given an award by the Utah Institute of Fine Arts in 1945. He received the National Federation of Music Clubs Award of Merit in 1959. Robertson died on 25 July 1971 in Salt Lake City.

From the guide to the Leroy J. Robertson papers, 1890s-1990s, (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)

Leroy J. Robertson (1896-1971) was a prominent LDS composer, faculty of the Brigham Young University School of Music, and member of the General Music Committee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Leroy Robertson was born December 12, 1896, in Fountain Green, Sanpete County, Utah. His passion for music began as a child, and he began teaching himself the violin when he received one as a present from his father. Robertson's formal musical training began in primary school and continued until he graduated from Brigham Young University High School in Provo in 1910. Shortly after becoming a violin instructor in the Utah valley, he was drafted in 1918 for World War I, though he never saw combat. In 1920, he travelled to Boston to study at the New England Conservatory and graduated with honors in June 1923 with diplomas in violin, piano, composition, and public school music. Robertson's professional teaching career soon followed at North Cache High School in 1923, Pleasant Grove High School in 1924, and Brigham Young University in 1925 where the School of Music thrived under Robertson's teaching. In spite of his busy teaching career, he increased his education by completing his BA and MA from BYU in the 1930's, studied with Ernest Bloch in 1930 at the San Fransisco Conservatory, and commenced doctoral studies at the University of Southern California in 1936 with Arnold Schoenberg. Robertson was appointed to the General Music Committee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1938. In 1948, he finished teaching at BYU and relocated to the University of Utah where he worked with Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony to augment Utah's musical culture, laying the foundations for Opera West, until he was forced to retire in 1962. Leroy Robertson died July 24, 1971, of heart failure.

From the guide to the Leroy J. Robertson scores and other material, approximately 1930-2007, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

Leroy J. Robertson (1896-1971) was born in Fountain Green, Utah, on 21 December 1896, the son of Utah-born Mormon parents. His first musical experiences were simple and personal--he fashioned tunes on a homemade fiddle and played by ear on the parlor organ in his home. In grammar school, after a few rudimentary music lessons, he organized a small orchestra of young friends and taught them to play music of his own devising. He graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in boston under George Whitefield Chadwick in 1923. His later studies were under Ernest Bloch in San Francisco and in Roveredo Capriasca, Switzerland; Hugo Leichtentritt in Berlin; and Arnold Schoenberg in Los Angeles. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from Brigham Young University (BYU) and Ph.D. degree from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He was professor and chairman of the music department at BYU; lecturer of composition at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and professor and chairman of the music department at the University of Utah from 1948 until his retirement in 1964. Upon retirement, Robertson received the first Distinguished Research Professorship at that institution.

Robertson was an honorary member of Phi Beta Kappa; a fellow of the Utah Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters; a member of the Executive Music Committee of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; and a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishrs (ASCAP). Robertson's compositions include works for chamber music and orchestra; concertos for violin, cello, and piano; solos, vocal, and instrumental; choral compositions and an "Oratorio from the Book of Mormon" for chorus, soloists, organ, and orchestra. While the Reichhold prize for his "Trilogy" was by far the most impressive, Robertson has a long list of other awards to hs credit. In 1923, he won the Endicott prize for his "Overture in E Minor"; his "Quintet in A Minor for Piano and Strings" won first place in a contest conducted by the Society for Publicaiton of American Music in 1936; his "String Quartet" was chosen by the Critics Circle in New York in 1944; and his "Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra" was given an award by the Utah Institute of Fine Arts in 1945. He received the National Federation of Music Clubs Award of Merit in 1959. Robertson died on 25 July, 1971 in Salt Lake City.

From the guide to the Leroy J. Robertson music recordings, 1920s-1970s, (J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah)