Description
The collection contains materials created by, collected by, and about conductor and composer Joseph Wagner. Materials include
music scores; symphony orchestra sheet music; loose music manuscripts; vinyl records; audio and video recordings; subject
and correspondence files; photographs; Wagner's publications; and colorful sheet music covers. Items range in date from approximately
the 1923 to the 1974.
Background
Joseph Frederick Wagner was born on January 9, 1900, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was a composer, conductor, and author.
He started piano lessons at the age of 8. Wagner graduated from Technical High School in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1918,
then served in the United States Army from 1918 to 1919. After leaving the army, he studied piano full-time with Felix Fox
and studied organ with Louis Whilemann. He attended the New England Conservatory of Music, graduating in 1923 and receiving
the Encidott Prize in composition. In 1924, he was appointed Assistant Director of Music in Boston Public Schools, then founded
the Boston Civic Symphony in 1925. He served as the conductor for the Boston Civic Symphony for eighteen years.
Restrictions
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.