Ross Finney

As published in the Foundation’s Report for 1937–38:

FINNEY, ROSS LEE:  Appointed for creative work in musical composition; tenure, twelve months from August 11, 1937.

Born December 23, 1906, at Wells, Minnesota.  Education:  University of Minnesota, 1924–25; Carleton College, B.A., 1927; Harvard University, 1928–29.  Musical studies with Nadia Boulanger, Alban Berg, Roger Sessions, Edward B. Hill.

Lecturer in Music, 1929–30, Instructor, 1930–31, Assistant Professor, 1932–37, Associate Professor, 1937—, Smith College. Pulitzer Prize in Music, 1937.

Principal compositions:  Piano Trio, performed by Denoe Leedy Trio, Cleveland, 1931; Piano Sonata No. 1, performed by Solon Robinson, Northampton, Massachusetts, 1932; Piano Sonata No. 2, performed by John Duke at the Yaddo Festival, 1934, New School for Social Research, 1935, at Northampton, 1935, and at a League of Composers concert 1936; also performed by Hugo Kortschak and Frederic Tillotson, at Cummington, Massachusetts, 1935; also performed by N. Lauga and Frederic Tillotson, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1936; Eight Poems by Archibald MacLeish, performed by Mabel Garrison in Hartford, 1936, and by Ada MacLeish, at Amherst College, and Princeton  University, 1937, and awarded the Connecticut Valley Prize, 1936; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:

normal;”>String Quartet, performed by the Northampton String Quartet, at Northampton, 1936, and in New York City, 1936; also performed by the Gordon String Quartet, at the Contemporary American Music Festival of Westminster Choir School, Princeton, New Jersey, 1936, and for the NBC Music Guild, 1936; by the Chardon Quartet, Boston, 1937; Masse Mensche, performed at Smith College (seven performances), 1936.

Publications:  Twelve Sonatas for Violin and Piano by Francesco Geminiani, 1935; Two Sonatas by Maurizio Cazzatti, 1937.