September 4, Juilliard paid tribute to piano faculty member Beveridge Webster on the occasion of his retirement after 44 years of distinguished service. A longtime pedagogue, Webster taught at the New England Conservatory from 1940 to 1946 and at Juilliard from 1946 to 1990. Among his many students were Robert Black, Michel Block, and David Garvey. Webster premiered or made first recordings of works by contemporary composers such as Aaron Copland, Roger Sessions, Elliott Carter, Roy Harris, and Louise Talma, and also championed the music of Schoenberg, Berg, Bartók, and Stravinsky. He was the first American to win First Prize in piano at the Paris Conservatoire; over the course of his career he performed with major orchestras and chamber ensembles including the Juilliard String Quartet. Webster died on June 30, 1999 at the age of 91.
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| Left to right: Martin Canin, Jacob Lateiner, Seymour Lipkin, Beveridge Webster, Joseph Raieff, President Joseph Polisi, and Herbert Stessin at Webster’s retirement party on September 4, 1990. |
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