Coolidge, Elizabeth Sprague, 1864-1953

  1. Coolidge, Elizabeth Sprague, 1864-1953
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Biographical Note

1864, Oct. 30 Born Elizabeth Penn Sprague, Chicago, Illinois, to Albert Arnold and Nancy Ann Atwood Sprague circa 1872 Began piano lessons with Regina Cohn Watson 1891 Married Frederic Shurtleff Coolidge (died 1915) 1894, Jan. 23 Son Albert Sprague Coolidge born (died 1977) 1901 Composed A Cycle of Songs based on sonnets of Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1904 Settled in Pittsfield, Massachusetts to improve husband's health 1915, Jan. 10 Father died Used half of inheritance to establish pension fund for Chicago Symphony Orchestra in her father's name circa 1915 Began studying composition with Rubin Goldmark, Percy Goetschius, Arthur Whiting, Antonio Brescia and Daniel Gregory Mason Composed string quartet 1916, Mar. 28 Mother died 1916 May Offered contract to Hugo Kortschak's quartet to move to East Coast and form Berkshire Quartet 1917 Albert Arnold Sprague Memorial Hall dedicated, given as a home for Yale University's music department by Coolidge and her mother 1918 Established home for the Berkshire Quartet and inaugurated the South Mountain (later Berkshire) Chamber Music Festival outside of Pittsfield, Massachusetts Established Berkshire Competition for composition of chamber music 1918 1924 Sponsored seven annual Berkshire Chamber Music Festivals 1921 Portrait painted by John Singer Sargent 1922 Met Carl Engel, chief of the Library of Congress Music Division Gave Berkshire competition music manuscripts to Library of Congress Suggested Library of Congress host series of concerts to feature Berkshire competition music 1923 circa 1939 Funded extensive music tours in Europe 1924 Feb. Berkshire Quartet performed at Freer Gallery of Art (3 concerts) which included six works dedicated to and/or commissioned by Coolidge 1924, Oct. 23 Sent letter to Librarian of Congress Herbert Putnam, expressing intent to establish an endowment in support of chamber music and build an auditorium for performances at the Library 1925, Jan. 23 President Coolidge [no relation] signed law authorizing Coolidge donation of the Library of Congress auditorium specifically intended for chamber music 1925, Mar. 3 President Coolidge signed into law the Coolidge Foundation at the Library of Congress to organize concerts in the auditorium and to commission new chamber music from both European and American composers 1925, Oct. 28 30 First Library of Congress festival with commissioned works by Charles Martin Loeffler, Frederick Stock and Ildebrando Pizzetti Festival carried over the radio by Navy Broadcasting Service in Arlington, Virginia 1926 Awarded honorary degree from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass. 1927 Awarded honorary degree from Smith College, Northampton, Mass. Awarded honorary degree from Yale University, New Haven, Conn. 1928 Commissioned Stravinsky to compose what would become Apollon Musagète, choreographed by Adolf Bolm Awarded honorary degree from Mills College, Oakland, Calif. 1929 Sponsored concert for Gabriele d'Annunzio at his villa on Lake Garda in northern Italy 1930 Staged a music festival in Chicago which marked beginning of her association with Hindemith Composed Piano Trio in F Major 1931 Inducted as a Chevalier of France's Legion of Honor Presented key to city of Frankfurt, Germany 1932 Established Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Medal for "eminent services to chamber music" 1933 Moved to Washington D.C. Awarded honorary degree from University of California 1934 Jo Davidson creates bronze bust of Coolidge 1934 1935 Sponsored nineteen musical radio broadcasts 1935 Awarded Order of the Crown of Belgium Awarded medal Hommage de gratitude from University of Liège, Liège, Belgium 1936 Began chamber music radio series on NBC 1937 Honored with the bestowal of the Order of Léopold, King of Belgium 1938 Awarded honorary degree from Pomona College, Claremont, Calif. 1944 Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring, a Coolidge commission, premiered at Library of Congress, choreographed by Martha Graham 1945 Commissioned the Paganini Quartet, led by Henri Temianka 1947 Composed Sonata for Oboe and Piano 1953, Nov. 4 Died, Cambridge, Massachusetts

From the guide to the Correspondence from the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation Collection, 1894-1953, (bulk 1920-1953), (Music Division Library of Congress)
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