Ezra Rachlin Archive

The collection chiefly contains the manuscript and published musical compositions and arrangements of the conductor and pianist Ezra Rachlin (1915-1995), a large number of printed performance and miniature scores of works by other composers,together with newspaper cuttings, scrap books, recordings and printed ephemera associated with his professional performances. Rachlin was also a photographic artist, but there are very few such works present in this collection: a group of hisphotographic works were donated to Grey College by Ann Rachlin in 2013. As evidenced by a number of items in the collection, a running theme in Rachlin's career from the 1950s onwards was his engagement with young audiences, an interest furthered incollaboration with his second wife Ann Rachlin after their marriage in 1969.

• 1915 Born 5 December in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
• 1918 Begins studying the piano, taught by his mother, a concert pianist.
• 1925 Begins studies in Germany, under Professor Moritz Mayer-Mahr.
• 1927 Berlin (solo piano) debut.
• 1929 American (solo piano) debut at Carnegie Hall.
• 1932 Enters Curtis Institute of Music, studying piano with Josef Hofmann, Leopold Godowsky, Joseph Lhevinne.
• 1935 Begins studying conducting under Fritz Reiner.
• 1935-1941 Photographic exhibitions in Europe.
• 1937 Selected by the Sergei Rachmaninoff to perform the first European performances of his 3rd Piano Concerto.
• 1940 Musical Director, Philadelphia Opera Company.
• 1946-1949 Personal conductor and accompanist to Lauritz Melchior.
• 1949-1969 Musical Director and Conductor, Austin Symphony Orchestra.
• 1958-1965 Guest Conductor, Houston Symphony Orchestra and Houston Summer Series.
• 1964 Photographic exhibition at Houston, Texas.
• 1965-1971 Musical Director and Conductor, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
• 1966 x 1969 Photographic exhibition at Fort Worth, Texas.
• 1966-1969 Chairman of the Jury and Finals Conductor, Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.
• 1970-1972 Chief Conductor, Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
• 1970-1990 International tours, including Italy, Portugal, Israel, UK, Mexico, Brazil.
• 1976 Photographic exhibition at Swiss Cottage, London.
• 1983 Good Vibrations photographic exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall, London.
• 1986 Funtasia concerts, with London Symphony Orchestra, and Ann Rachlin.
• 1987 Through the eye of the conductor photographic exhibition at the Barbican, London.
• 1995 Died 21 January in London.

• RAC 1: Correspondence
• RAC 2: Financial record
• RAC 3: Manuscript compositions, arrangements and writings by Ezra Rachlin
• RAC 4: Published compositions and arrangements by Ezra Rachlin
• RAC 5: Performances, including programmes and performance timings
• RAC 6: Curtis Institute
• RAC 7: Scrap books, cuttings, promotional material and ephemera
• RAC 8: Photographs and other graphic artwork
• RAC 9: Objects
• RAC 10: Recordings
• RAC 11: Scores: see Library catalogue for full bibliographic records, shelfmark RAC.
• RAC 12: Miscellanea

Open for consultation.

Donated by Ann Rachlin, widow of Ezra Rachlin, 11 October 2013, 2 June 2014, 10 March 2017: Misc. 2013/14: 15, 70, Misc.2016/17:101.

Catalogue of manuscripts and papers.

Books and other printed items are entered in the Library's catalogue http://library.dur.ac.uk/.

After his death, at the behest of Ezra Rachlin, the bulk of the Rachlin collection of scores was given to Richard Markson, conductor/cellist, who studied conducting with him.

Permission to make any published use of material from the collection must be sought in advance from the Sub-Librarian, Special Collections (e-mail PG.Library@durham.ac.uk) and, where appropriate, from the copyright owner. The Library will assistwhere possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

A collection of photographs by Ezra Rachlin were donated by Ann Rachlin to Grey College of Durham University in November 2013.