Storm Bulletin

Background

Johan Storm Bulletin, the only child of Eyvind Hagerup Bulletin (1882-1949) and Agnes Hagerup Bulletin (1885-1950), was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Education

In 1931, he studied in Paris with Lazare Levy at the Ecole Normale de Musique and at the Sorbonne.

Career

He was Professor Emeritus at the College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder and Head of the Division of Piano. His family heritage included the musical traditions of Norway. Both of Storm’s grandfathers were nephews of the Norwegian violinist Ole Bulletin and were also first cousins of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.

In 1919, Storm Bulletin began his formal musical training at the Laboratory Schools of the University of Chicago, the American Conservatory of Music, and the Chicago Musical College.

In 1929, his debut as a soloist took place at age 16 in Oslo, Norway. He performed Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the Orchestra of the Oslo Philharmonic conducted by Issay Dobrowen before an audience which included Nina Hagerup Grieg, the composer’s widow.

Bulletin continued his musical training at the Liszt Academy and the University of Budapest. He was the private pupil of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók.

On March 2, 1939, he gave the first North American performance of Bartók"s Second Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frederick Stock.

He performed with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra conducted by Douglas Clarke and made his concert debut in New York City with a solo recital at Town Hall. Bulletin served three years in the United States. Navy during World World War II in a precursor to the Navy SEALS. Bulletin was a Chief Specialist in Athletics, Underwater Demolition Team. Starting in 1945, he spent two years teaching at Baylor University before accepting a professorship at the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1947.

During his time at University of Colorado-Boulder, his students would include classical musician David Schrader and composer/pianist Dave Grusin.

In 1954, Bulletin was honored as a Fulbright Grant Professor of Musicology at the University of Oslo, Norway. After thirty years with the University of Colorado College of Music, Bulletin retired in 1977 as Professor Emeritus and Head of the Piano Division.

Achievements

• In 1969, Storm Bulletin was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award for extraordinary contributions to the cultural life of the United States and Norway by the Scandinavian Foundation at the University of Denver.

Connections

teacher:

Percy Grainger