Carlos Salzedo

French harpist, composer, conductor and pianist Charles Moïse Léon Salzedo was born in Arcachon on 6 April 1885 into a musical Sephardic Jewish family. He studied at the Paris Conservatory and at sixteen won the premier prix in harp and piano.

He began a career as a solo harpist, and later moved to the USA, where he played harp for New York Metropolitan Opera and toured as Trio de Lutèce with flautist Georges Barrère and cellist Paul Kéfer.

He worked tirelessly to promote the harp, composing music for the instrument and developing new techniques and notations. He formed a summer harp colony in Camden, Maine, and founded the harp department at the Curtis Institute. He also taught at Juilliard.

With Edgard Varèse he co-founded the International Composers' Guild.

Carlos Salzedo died in Waterville, Maine, USA on 17 August 1961, aged seventy-six.

 

A selection of articles about Carlos Salzedo

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - The home country grown strange

Ensemble. A Delightful Addition to Christmas - Bryn Terfel in Wales, the latest Met Stars live in concert, reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Past and Present - Gerald Fenech finds music for trombone and piano worthy of serious investigation. 'Performances are wonderfully attractive, with a certain exquisite timbre and beautifully shaped nuances permeating each piece.'