David Ewen
David Ewen was a notable figure in the world of music writing and composition, born in 1907 in Lwow, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine). His early exposure to composer George Gershwin sparked a lifelong passion for music, leading him to pursue studies in musicology without attaining a formal degree. Ewen became a prolific author, with his first significant work being a biography of Franz Schubert published in 1931. He went on to write extensively about prominent composers such as Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, and Cole Porter, as well as producing encyclopedic works on various music genres.
In addition to his writing, Ewen held editorial roles in music publications during the 1930s and 1940s and contributed to the war effort by documenting a history of troops during World War II. He co-founded a publishing company in the mid-1940s and produced numerous music history programs for Voice of America in the early 1960s. Ewen was also involved in academic pursuits, serving as a visiting professor and receiving an honorary doctorate in music. He initiated the Gershwin Festival in 1970, celebrating the legacy of his early mentor. Ewen passed away in 1985, leaving a rich legacy in music literature and education.
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David Ewen
Writer
- Born: November 26, 1907
- Birthplace: Lwow, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine)
- Died: December 28, 1985
- Place of death: Miami, Florida
Biography
David Ewen was born in 1907 in Lwow, Austria-Hungary (now in Ukraine). When he was sixteen, he became acquainted with the composer George Gershwin, who fueled Ewen’s lifelong interest in musical composition. After being tutored in musicology and trained to play the piano, Ewen attended music classes at the City College of New York and Columbia University but did not earn a formal degree.
Instead, he became a prolific writer, focusing on books about music and musicians. His first book was a biography of composer Franz Schubert, Unfinished Symphony: A Story-Life of Franz Schubert (1931). His other publications include biographies of Gershwin and composers Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, and Cole Porter, and encyclopedias about opera, American popular songs and twentieth century music. In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, he held editorial positions at Cue, Stage, and Musical Facts. Additionally, he edited and compiled several books about American and European composers and other music-related subjects. During World War II, the United States’ government hired Ewen to write a history of troops.
In the mid-1940’s, Ewen and several colleagues founded the Allen, Towne & Heath Publishing Company, which he directed for four years. He produced more than fifty Voice of America programs on music history in the early 1960’s and spent a few years as a visiting professor at Miami University, where he received an honorary doctorate in 1975. He founded and directed numerous musical festivals in his life, most notably the Gershwin Festival, which he started in 1970. In 1936, Ewen married Hannah Weinstein, with whom he had a son, Robert. He died in 1985 at the age of seventy-eight.