Carl Ellis Eppert

Wabash Valley profiles : a series of tributes to hometown heroes who have made a difference

Description:	One typed page including photograph; biography of Carl Ellis Eppert, founder of Terre Hautes first symphony orchestra and internationally renowned composer. WABASHP R OFIA hometown h heroes who h difference. A seriies of ttributes tto h f ib t t h have made a diff dVALLEYL E SCarl Ellis Eppertnative of Clay County, Carl Ellis Eppert was raised in Terre Haute, founding the citys first symphony orchestra and becoming an internationally renowned composer. Born Nov. 5, 1882, in Carbon, Ind., Carl moved to Terre Haute in 1888 with his parents, William E. and Ida (Stephenson) Eppert, when his father became corporate secretary of J. Smith Talleys Coal Bluff Mining Co., one of Indianas largest coal mine operators. The Eppert family resided at 641 Cherry St. A musical prodigy as a youth, Carl studied piano in Chicago at the Conservatory of Music and graduated from the American College of Music. He briefly attended Rose Polytechnic and played in the Ringgold Band. The precise date Eppert organized the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra remains unclear but, on April 4, 1904, his 38-piece ensemble helped dedicate the new Centenary United Methodist Church. The event generated glowing remarks from the Terre Haute Gazette: Mr. Carl E. Eppert astonished people by the splendid organization he has effected with his symphony orchestra and in his masterful leadership. Under Eppert, the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra presented at least two programs each year for the next four seasons at the Grand Opera House. During 1907 the orchestra--consisting of 45 musicians with Eppert as director and Hugh McGibony as concertmaster--gave electrifying performances at the Grand on Feb. 25 and May 3. Newspapers lauded the orchestras immense improvement over four seasons. Although quite a young man, the Terre Haute Star proclaimed, conductor Carl Ellis Eppert has shown himself very capable as an orchestra leader and has composed several songs which are a credit to him... By the end of 1907 Eppert was in Berlin, studying harmony, orchestration and composition under celebrated German music teacher-composer Hugo Kaun, Hungarian conductor Arthur Nikisch and Ernst Kunwald, conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. In Epperts absence, Terre Hautes symphony was discontinued, to be resurrected in 1926 by Will Bryant. Eppert taught music theory in Germany until World War I. Soon after returning to Indiana, he was solicited to head the Seattle Grand Opera Company, which was rebuilding after an opera house fire. In 1921 Carl relocated to Milwaukee as dean of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and was invited to found a civic orchestra. Epperts Milwaukee Civic Symphony presented public concerts and exhibitions in Milwaukee schools during 1922 and the two ensuing years. The orchestra folded debt-free after the 1924 season. The Wisconsin state chess champion in 1923, Eppert began to focus on his career as a composer, winning many awards. In 1932 he received the NBC Orchestra Award for Traffic and in 1938 a Julliard Foundation award for Symphony No. 4 in F, Timber, Opus 70, written in a secluded cabin at Libby, Mont. He earned first prize in the 1941 Chicago Symphony Golden Jubilee Contest for Suite No. 1 of his Ballet of the Vitamins. Epperts symphonic works for band were played and broadcast by the U.S. Navy, Army and Marine Corps bands. Carl died in Milwaukee, at age 78, on Oct. 1, 1961, survived by his widow Hertha and two sons, Carl Jr. and William, of Wilmington, Del. The Milwaukee Public Library is the repository for the Carl Eppert manuscript collection.AMEMBER FDICAlways Close to Home812-238-6000Fs EE R ride buFRIDAYRide the Terre Haute buses FREE the FIRST FRIDAY of every month, compliments of First Financial Bank.
Origin:	2006-03-01
Created By:	McCormick, Mike
Publisher:	Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Source:	http://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/vchs/id/1029
Collection:	Vigo County Historical Society
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/
Copyright:	Copyright Undetermined
Subjects:	Eppert, Carl, 1882-1961 Composers Conductors People Social Life Famous Hoosiers

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