Richard Stöhr (geb. Stern)

1874 Wien - 1967 Montpelier, Vt
dr. med. Richard Stoehr, born June 11, 1874 as Richard Stern, composer, teacher, studied medicine at the Vienna University, following the wish of his father, physician Dr. Samuel Stern. After completing his studies in 1898 as a medical doctor, he enrolled classes in piano, organ and composition with Robert Fuchs at the Conservatorium der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Wien, obtaining his diploma in piano and his teachers' degree that same year. In 1902 he completed his composition studies with a diploma. From 1904-08 he worked as a répétiteur at his former school, the Conservatorium, and from 1908 to 1938 he hold teaching positions at the successors' institution, the Vienna Academy for Music and Performing Arts in harmonics, study of musical forms and piano chamber music. In 1929 he was appointed professor for the didactics of theoretic musical education as a major subject at the pedagogic department of the Music Academy. In spite of his early conversion to catholicism he belonged to the first victims of nazi-terror after the annexation of Austria. he managed to flee to the USA, where from 1939 to 1941 he hold teaching positions at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, 1941 at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia, and 1942-43 at Cincinatti Conservatory, Ohio. The last years of his career were spent as teacher for German and music at Saint Michaels College in Winooski, Vermont. The enormous appreciation from the side of his over 10.000 students - amongst them Leonard Bernstein, Marcel Rubin, Fritz Spielmann and Erich Zeisl -, who never had forgotten him, has raised him an everlasting monument. The same cannot be said from his compositions: most of his music, like an opera, an oratorium, symphonies, chamber music and Lieder are still to be rediscovered. Richard Stöhr has passed away December 11, 1967 in Montpelier, Vermont. At the moment ( January 2018) the Aula of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) holds an exhibition on Richard Stöhr's life and career, curated by Dr. Lynne Heller, director of the archive of the mdw. Update Primavera Driessen Gruber 16. January 2018