Eichheim, Henry

Biography

Henry Eichheim (b Chicago, 3 Jan 1870; d Santa Barbara, CA, 22 Aug 1942). American composer, violinist and conductor. A graduate of the Chicago Musical College, he went on to play with the Theodore Thomas Orchestra (1889) and the Boston SO (1890-1912). Thereafter, he devoted himself to composition, chamber music and conducting, making his reputation as an early champion of works by Debussy, Ravel and Fauré. Trips to Japan, Korea and China prompted intensive study of Asian music with Hisao Tanabe (Japan), Yang Yinliu (China) and Jaap Kunst (Java). During the first of four such trips (1915), Eichheim transcribed the sounds around him in notebooks that have, unfortunately, been lost. Photographs of musical performances throughout Asia do survive, however. Stokowski, a close friend, who performed the premières of many of his works, travelled with him to Bali (1928) and India (mid-1930s). After 1922 Eichheim settled in Santa Barbara.

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