Samuel Osborne Barber, one of the most celebrated American composers of the 20th century, was born into a socially distinguished family in a small Pennsylvanian town. Despite his father’s wishes for him to become a physician, Barber knew from a young age that his true calling was to be a composer. Enrolling at the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 14, he honed his skills for nine years, composing numerous songs and his first orchestral work. With the support of travel grants and prizes, Barber spent time in Rome where he wrote many of his masterpieces. Upon his return to the USA, he continued to write on commission, creating even more highly successful works. Despite battling cancer, Barber continued to compose until his last major work at the age of 68. In 1981, he passed away, leaving behind a legacy of exceptional music.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Samuel Osmond Barber II
- Died At Age: 70
- Family:
- Father: Samuel Le Roy Barber
- Mother: Marguerite McLeod
- Partner: Gian Carlo Menotti, Valentin Herranz
- Born Country: United States
- Composers
- American Men
- Died on: January 23, 1981
- Place of Death: New York City
- Grouping of People: Gay
- U.S. State: Pennsylvania
- Cause of Death: Cancer
- City: West Chester, Pennsylvania
- More Facts:
- Education: Curtis Institute of Music, West Chester Henderson High School
Childhood & Early Life
Samuel Osborne Barber II was born on March 9, 1910, in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His father Samuel Le Roy Barber, a physician by profession, was the president and treasurer of the Board of Trustee of the First Presbyterian Church and the president of West Chester School Board. His mother Marguerite McLeod née Beatty was an accomplished pianist. Samuel was born elder of his parents’ two children. He had a younger sister called Sarah who was three years his junior. He dedicated many of his earliest songs to her. Later, he had said that Sarah understood him better than his parents did.
Early Interest in Music
From an early age, Samuel showed a great interest in music. He started learning piano at the age of six, possibly with his mother, inventing melodies from the very beginning, making his mother justly proud. Between July and December 1917, Samuel wrote three compositions. Among them, ‘Sadness in C minor’ for piano was his first work. Another work, ‘Melody in F,’ was also composed for piano. The third was a song called ‘Some Time’, on a text by Eugene Field, which he dedicated to his mother.
Music Lessons and Compositions
Since his mother was averse to male pianists, Samuel began his professional music lessons by studying cello. But he continued to teach himself piano and by 1919, he had written a number of pieces for voice and piano. In 1919, his parents engaged William Hatton Green, the best piano teacher they could find, to teach him the piano. However, his father, who expected him to go to the ‘Princeton University’ and become a doctor one day, wanted him to show more interest in other activities, including sports.
Education and Career
By 1924, his parents realized that it was impossible to divert him from his goal. Therefore, they agreed to let him study at the newly opened Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia while he was continuing his high school studies in West Chester. Barber was at Curtis for nine years, studying piano with Isabelle Vengerova; composition with Rosario Scalero and George Frederick Boyle; and voice with Emilio de Gogorza. Very soon, he became a favorite of the conservatory’s founder, Mary Louise Curtis Bok, who introduced him to his lifelong publishers, the Schirmer family.
Career and Major Works
In 1931, while he was still a student at Curtis, he completed his first full orchestra. Entitled ‘Overture to the School for Scandal’, it was premiered two years later, on August 30, 1933, by Philadelphia Orchestra. After the war, he briefly taught at the Curtis Institute of Music; but possibly left it shortly after receiving the Guggenheim Fellowships in 1946. Also in the same year, commissioned by the Ditson Fund of the Columbia University, he wrote his first ballet, ‘Medea’. Writing on commission, Barber continued to produce many masterpieces, such as ‘Knoxville: Summer of 1915’ (1948), ‘Sonata for Piano’ (1949), ‘Hermit Songs’ (1953), ‘Prayers of Kierkegaard’ (1954) and ‘Summer Music for Wind Quintet’ (1956). Thereafter, he started writing his first opera, ‘Vanessa’.
Personal Life and Death
Samuel Barber maintained a long-term relationship with Gian Carlo Menotti, an Italian-American composer and librettist. They met while they were studying at the Curtis Institute of Music. He died of cancer on January 23, 1981, in New York City at the age of 70. Later, his mortal remains were taken to his hometown in West Chester, where he was buried in Oaklands Cemetery. He was survived by his brother-in-law and an array of cousins, nephews and nieces.