Elmore, Robert Hall

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Elmore, Robert Hall

Elmore, Robert Hall, American organist, teacher, and composer; b. Ramapatnam, India (of American parents), Jan. 2, 1913; d. Ardmore, Pa., Sept. 22, 1985. He studied with Pietro Yon (organ) and Harl McDonald (composition), at the Royal Academy of Music in London (licentiate, 1933), and at the Univ. of Pa. (B.Mus., 1937). He taught organ at Philadelphia’s Clarke Cons, of Music (1936–53) and Musical Academy (from 1939), and composition at the Univ. of Pa. (from 1940); he also was organist at various churches. His It Began at Breakfast was the first televised opera by an American composer.

Works

It Began at Breakfast, opera (Philadelphia, Feb. 8, 1941); 2 tone poems: Valley Forge (Philadelphia, April 9, 1937) and Prelude to Unrest- 2 orch. suites: 3 Colors and Legend of Sleepy Hollow; Organ Concerto, String Quartet; organ pieces; sacred music; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire