Goldberg and Aspen
Aspen Music Festival and School and The Festival Quartet
Violinist and conductor Szymon Goldberg (1909-1993) was born in Poland, experienced two world wars, and lived during the turbulent 20th century until he died in Toyama. We will tell you about the connection between Goldberg, who obtained American citizenship shortly after the war, and the town of Aspen in the Rocky Mountains, where he spent a short time nearly every summer until the 1960s. In 1949, a humanities research institute was established in Aspen, Colorado, as a place where leaders in different fields, such as scholars, artists, and musicians, gathered to think and learn together and as an ideal place to train leaders of the next generation. The following year, a music festival was established for musicians who were driving forces in the world to gather, and the festival came to be held every summer. Goldberg also joined this Aspen Music Festival and School as one of its leaders for about 15 years, beginning in 1951, and coached young people who had musical aspirations.
In 1951, Goldberg formed a piano quartet with William Primrose (viola), Nikolai Graudan (cello), and Victor Babin (piano), performing musicians who had gathered in Aspen. This quartet was named The Festival Quartet after the music festival. The quartet coordinated the performance schedules of the four members and set out on concert tours in various locations after the music festival. The quartet was made up of four friends who were rich in personality and complemented and respected each other. Upon the sudden death of Graudan in 1964, the quartet ended its activities, because welcoming a new member and continuing its activities was considered out of the question.
While looking at the artworks left behind by Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg, try thinking of the musicians' summer days spent in Aspen and overflowing with sound.