Kirk, H.L.

Herbert L. Kirk is best known in the field of musicology as the author of Pablo Casals (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1974), the authorized biography of Casals. He pursued a career in publishing and held executive positions at various publishing houses, as well as heading H.L. Kirk Associates, a small editorial consulting firm. Kirk was an accomplished amateur pianist and very knowledgeable about classical music. He became close friends with Casals, leading to his being asked to write the cellist's biography.

Biographical Note

Herbert L. Kirk was a writer, editor and publishing consultant when he first met Pablo Casals in 1960. In his own words, "my first reaction was veneration." They became close friends and in 1966 Casals invited Kirk to write his authorized biography. Kirk was given extensive access to Casals and his records. The book was finished in 1973 within hours of Casals' death. In his will, Kirk left his research material and other related items to the Library of Congress.

Herbert L. Kirk was born in Orlando, Florida, on July 26, 1926. He earned an A.B. degree from Wake Forest College, and attended graduate school at Columbia University and New York University. After serving in the U.S. Army, he made New York City his home and began pursuing a career in book publishing. He held various editorial and executive positions at Prentice-Hall, Ronald Press, Appleton-Century-Crofts, Macmillan, and Hill & Wang. He headed H. L. Kirk Associates, a small editorial consulting firm, and served as an advisory editor for McGraw-Hill.

Although Mr. Kirk never studied the cello, he was an accomplished amateur pianist and very knowledgeable about classical music. He came to know Casals well during the time that the cellist was associated with the Marlboro Festival in Vermont, where Kirk and his wife had a summer house in nearby Jacksonville. Kirk's biography of Casals, Pablo Casals, a Biography, was his only notable published work.

Kirk died in New York City, on October 31, 1994.