Natalia Raigorodsky

Last updated
Marie Leda Natalia Raigorodsky Heimsath Harter Parris
Born
Marie Leda Natalia Raigorodsky

(1929-07-28)28 July 1929
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Died28 August 2018(2018-08-28) (aged 89)
Other namesNatalia Raigorodsky
Education Barnard College; American University
Occupations Composer, educator, Music critic
Spouse(s)Charles Herman Heimsath; James L. Parris

Marie Leda Natalia Raigorodsky Heimsath Harter Parris (28 July 1929 - 28 August 2018) was an American composer, educator, and music critic who produced over 150 works, including two operas and two symponies. [1] She published under the name Natalia Raigorodsky. [2] [3]

Contents

Biography

Raigorodsky was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Ethel McCaleb and Paul M. Raigorodsky. She grew up in Texas, then moved to Maine in the early 1940s. She graduated from Barnard College in 1952 and earned a master’s degree in composition and music history in 1963 from American University. [1] Raigorodsky studied privately at Yale University and the Juilliard School of Music. Her teachers included Stanley Hummel, Quincy Porter, Gordon H. Smith, and Bernard Wagenaar. [3] [4] [5] She taught music theory and piano privately throughout her life. [6]

Raigorodsky married Charles Herman Heimsath and had two sons. In 1987, she married James L. Parris. [1]

From 1962 to 1966, Raigorodsky lived in Washington, D.C. where she programmed classical music for radio programs and worked as an announcer and interviewer, as well as a music critic. [3] A longtime member of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, she wrote organ chorale settings for several hymns, and set religious texts to music. [1] She also belonged to Mu Phi Epsilon. [4]

By 1978, Raigorodsky was living in Muncy Valley, Pennsylvania, where she became involved with restoring and preserving the Keystone Mountain Park Trust. [1] In 1982, her opera ThePromise of Peace was premiered by the Opera Theatre of Washington D.C., which later performed TheWhite Cliffs as well. [7] [8]

Some of Raigorodsky’s compositions were self-published. Others were published by Culley Music and Wings of the Morning Music. Many of her works are archived at the Library of Congress. [9] Her compositions include:

Chamber

Opera

Orchestra

Organ

Piano

Vocal

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Raigorodsky, Natalia (17 September 2018). "Obituary". Williamsport Sun Gazette.
  2. 1 2 Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1972). Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series: Music. Part 5. Library of Congress, Copyright Office.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International Encyclopedia of Women Composers. Books & Music USA. p. 570. ISBN   978-0-9617485-1-7.
  4. 1 2 3 Boenke, Heidi M. (1988). Flute Music by Women Composers. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. p. 99. ISBN   0313260192.
  5. ↑ "Heimsath, Leda Natalia Raigorodsky". worldcat.org. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
  6. ↑ McVicker, Mary Frech (2016). Women opera composers: biographies from the 1500s to the 21st century. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 199. ISBN   978-0-7864-9513-9.
  7. ↑ Gerbrandt, Carl (2006-12-28). Sacred Music Drama: The Producer's Guide Second Edition. AuthorHouse. ISBN   978-1-4520-3257-3.
  8. ↑ Borroff, Edith; Clark, J. Bunker (1992). American operas: a checklist. Detroit studies in music bibliography. Warren, Mich: Harmonie Park Press. ISBN   978-0-89990-063-6.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Natalia Raigorodsky". loc.gov. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
  10. ↑ "works with horn by women". Lin Foulk Baird. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
  11. ↑ Raigorodsky, Natalia. "Opening NIght: Opera and Oratorio Premieres". stanford.edu. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
  12. ↑ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1970). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series.
  13. ↑ "O Thou Unchanging Truth [Out of Print]". Watchfire Music. Retrieved 2026-01-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.