Background
Shapleigh, Bertram was born on January 15, 1871 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Thomas Wentworth and Emma Frances (Hovey) Shapleigh.
Shapleigh, Bertram was born on January 15, 1871 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Thomas Wentworth and Emma Frances (Hovey) Shapleigh.
Descendant Alexander Shapleigh, Kittery, Maine, 1635. Educated under private tutors and special courses a various colleges Early musical educated in Boston, continued in France and Germany.
Graduate North.E. Conservatory of Music, 1891.
Doctor of Medicine Vermont Medical College, 1893. Studied musical composition under Whiting, Chadwick, McDowell.
Piano under Faelton and Bendix.
Wrote for magazines and newspapers. Author of three volumes of poems. Collection of Early Poems, 1891.
Harmony of the Spheres, 1893.
The Quest of the Beautiful, 1894. Gave lecture recitals on musical history, Oriental music and Wagner’s music dramas.
Went to Europe in 1898 and lived in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. Settled in England in 1902 and built “Weird Wood” in Kentish hills, which burned down with library of 7000 volumes
Returned to the United States, 1917.
Lectured widely. Art advisor to Breitkopf & Hartel, publications Composer: Dance of the Dervishes (chorus and orchestra. Wolverhampton Festival), 1905.
The Raven (chorus and orchestra.
Middlesborough and Bishop Auckland Festivals), 1907. Ramayana Suite (orchestra, Eastbourne Festival), 1908. Gur Amir (symphonic orchestral suite.
Saint James Hall, London), 1908.
Romance of the Year (London), 1907. Three Songs of England (Liverpool Symphony Orchestra), 1909.
Mirage (tone poem, Philharmonic Orchestra, Sheffield, England), 1910. Tale of the Dismal Swamp, and Vedic Hymn (London Choral Society), 1910.
Firtree and Brook (8-part chorus, London), 1912.
Also various other works including 2 symphonies, string quartette, piano trio, 3 sonatas for cello, 2 sonatas for violin. About 30 pieces for violin or cello, a number of operas and over 200 songs. Numerous works still unpublished at time of death.
Author: (novel) The Story of Mervin Danvers.
Musical compositions are now property of Bertram Shapleigh Foundn., 2220 20th Saint, North.W., Washington.
Married second, 1928 (divorced).