Grant Johannesen papers

Collection

Identifier: ACCN 2199

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Grant Johannesen papers (1955-1998) contain correspondence, programs, and printed material related to his profession.

Dates

1870-2005

Creator

Johannesen, Grant (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical / Historical

Grant Johannesen (1921-2005) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was playing the piano by the time he was five, and eventually studied with Robert Casadesus in New York, and eventually Roger Sessions, and Nadia Boulanger. Johannesen made his Manhattan recital debut when he was 23, and won the Concours International when he was 28. Johannesen toured with various companies, and was also a solo performer. He played with the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Utah Symphony. He opened the 75th Anniversary season at Carnegie Hall in 1966, and travelled extensively, playing in the (then) Soviet Union, Israel, Europe, and South America. In celebration of his Scandinavian roots, he played for Norway's King Olaf, again at Carnegie Hall. Musically, Johannesen's well-known passion were lesser-known composers. In order to make them more available, he concentrated on Gabriel Faure, recording all of the French composer's piano works, as well as Francis Poulenc, and Darius Milhaud. He also played Franz Xaver, considered Mozart's "forgotten son." Johannesen was the president of the Cleveland Institute of Music from 1977 to 1985. Grant Johannesen was married to composer Helen Taylor, from 1943-1950, until her death in an automobile accident. They had a son, David Johannesen. His second wife was cellist Zara Nelsova, from 1963 to 1973, when they divorced. At the time of his death, in Berlin in 2005, Johannesen had just finished a project called Mormoniana, a piano suite in collaberation with sixteen other musicians who also had LDS roots.

Extent

10 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Grant Johnannesen papers (1870-2005) contain correspondence, certificates, and printed material relating to his career as a concert pianist. Grant Johannesen played with several orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, and at Carnegie Hall. His major interests were the works of lesser-known French composers, such as Gabriel Faure, who's entire body of work he eventually recorded.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of David Johannesen in 2006.

Transferred from the University of Utah Press through Peter H. DeLafosse in 2008.

Related Materials

See also the Annette Dinwoodey papers (ACCN 0728). Dinwoodey was a good friend of Grant Johannesen.

Separated Materials

The bulk of the Grant Johannesen papers contain his extended collection of sheet music. These have been transeferred to the Fine Arts Department of the Marriott Library.

Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0141).