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Grace Hofheimer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grace Hofheimer
A young white woman with wavy dark hair, wearing a light-colored top with a square neckline
Grace Hofheimer, from a 1920 publication
BornAugust 27, 1891
New York City
DiedSeptember 1965
Occupation(s)Pianist, educator

Grace M. Hofheimer (August 27, 1891 – September 1965) was an American pianist, composer, and educator, author of Teaching Techniques For The Piano (1954).

Early life and education

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Hofheimer was born in New York City, the daughter of Justinian Alman Hofheimer and Rose Clare Leonard Hofheimer. Her father was a physician.[1] She studied piano with Andre Benoist [ru],[2][3] and Isidor Philipp. At Columbia University she studied music theory under Daniel Gregory Mason.[4]

Career

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Hofheimer was a concert pianist, based in New York City.[5][6][7] In 1918, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported that "Miss Hofheimer, who has devoted her time to teaching, possesses an abundant technique and a straightforwardness of interpretation," while noting "a mechanical lack of variety of tone and color, that precluded the expression of the inner essesnce of the compositions."[8]

Hofheimer toured for the Edison Company during the 1920-1921 season.[2][9] She was head of the piano department at the Chase School in Brooklyn,[10] and gave private lessons from a studio at Steinway Hall.[11][12] In 1923, she played on a radio broadcast,[13] and taught a summer course in New Jersey,[4] Among her students were mathematician Raymond Smullyan[14] and music professor Morton Schoenfeld.[15]

Later in life, Hofheimer was chair of the Greater New York Guild of Piano Teachers.[16] She adjudicated auditions for the National Guild of Piano Teachers[17] and the Mid-South Piano Scholarship Association,[18][19][20] and spoke to music teachers' organizations.[21][22] Hofheimer wrote Teaching Techniques for the Piano (1954).[23] She also composed piano pieces suited for teaching.[24]

Publications

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  • "Reasons for Counting Aloud" (1926, article)[25]
  • Birthday Greetings (1926, compositions)[24]
  • Teaching Techniques for the Piano (1954)[23]

Personal life

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Hofheimer died in 1965, at the age of 74.[26]

References

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  1. ^ Chamberlain, Joshua Lawrence (1903). New York University: Its History, Influence, Equipment and Characteristics, with Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Founders, Benefactors, Officers and Alumni. R. Herndon Company. pp. 296–297.
  2. ^ a b "Grace Hofheimer to Tour". Musical Courier. 80: 32. May 27, 1920.
  3. ^ "Miss Hofheimer's Concerts". Musical America. 22: 36. June 26, 1915.
  4. ^ a b "Grace Hofheimer Returns to New York". Musical Courier. 87: 53. October 11, 1923.
  5. ^ "Grace Hofheimer, Pianist". Musical Courier. 80: 46. January 22, 1920.
  6. ^ "Grace Hofheimer's Art Admired". Musical Courier. 80: 56. May 27, 1920.
  7. ^ "Grace Hofheimer in Recital". Musical Observer. 25 (11): 43. November 1926.
  8. ^ "Another Pianist in Recital". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1918-10-24. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-10-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Great Recital". Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. 1920-11-09. p. 6. Retrieved 2022-10-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Piano Recital by Pupils of Grace M. Hofheimer". Musical Courier. 73: 8. July 6, 1916.
  11. ^ "Grace Hofheimer at Steinway Hall". Musical Courier. 80: 33. May 13, 1920 – via Hathi Trust.
  12. ^ "Grace Hofheimer Pupil Honored in Leipsic". Musical Courier. 87: 50. November 8, 1923.
  13. ^ "Grace Hofheimer's Playing Broadcasted". Musical Courier. 87: 35. October 25, 1923.
  14. ^ "Remembering Raymond Smullyan". Dover Math and Science. Retrieved 2022-10-04.
  15. ^ Wilks, Flo (1971-11-28). "Schoenfeld to Solo with UNM Symphony". Albuquerque Journal. p. 31. Retrieved 2022-10-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "New York Guild Meeting Presents Keyboard Notables". Musical Courier. 147 (3): 11. February 1, 1953 – via Internet Archive.
  17. ^ "WQXR Broadcasts Interview of Grace Hofheimer". Piano Guild Notes. 7 (4): 2. November–December 1958 – via Internet Archive.
  18. ^ "A Piano Lesson". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. 1954-04-30. p. 13. Retrieved 2022-10-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Piano Students Have Audition". The Edwardsville Intelligencer. 1958-04-08. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-10-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Grace Hofheimer Discusses Guild Grading System". Piano Guild Notes. 2 (3): 3. September 1952 – via Internet Archive.
  21. ^ "Music, Speech Teachers Hear Miss Hofheimer and Name Officers for Year". Corsicana Daily Sun. 1954-05-13. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-10-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Piano Group Ending Season". The New York Times. 1938-05-29. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  23. ^ a b Hofheimer, Grace (1954). Teaching Techniques for the Piano. Belwin.
  24. ^ a b "Grace Hofheimer Resumes Teaching". The Huntsville Times. 1926-11-28. p. 3. Retrieved 2022-10-05 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ Hofheimer, Grace (June 1926). "Reasons for Counting Aloud". Musical Observer. 25 (6): 10.
  26. ^ Grace Hofheimer, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. via Ancestry.