Bookspan, Martin
Bookspan, Martin
Bookspan, Martin, American music critic, administrator, and broadcaster; b. Boston, July 30, 1926. He was educated at the Boston Music School (violin and theory) and Harvard Coll. (B.S. in German literature, 1947). He was executive director of the New England Opera Theater (1952–54); from 1956 to 1968, held various administrative positions with WQXR Radio in N.Y. In 1968 he was named coordinator for the sym. and concert activities of ASCAP. He was host and commentator for the Boston Sym. and Pops radio broadcasts (1957–68); from 1975 to 1988 he was host, commentator, and executive producer for the N.Y. Phil. radio broadcasts; from 1976 also commentator for the “Live from Lincoln Center” PBS telecasts. He was a permanent member of the panel of critics for the “First Hearing” radio program; was a contributing ed. to Stereo Review Magazine (1958–76); also wrote for the N.Y. Times (1963–65). He publ. 101 Masterpieces of Music and Their Composers (N.Y., 1968), Zubin: The Zubin Mehta Story (N.Y., 1978), and André Previn: A Biography (Garden City, N.Y., 1981).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire