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Inventory of the Frank Ahrold Papers, 1949-1992
ARCHIVES AHROLD 1
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Table of contents
Title: Frank Ahrold Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1949-1992
Collection number: ARCHIVES AHROLD 1
Creator:
Ahrold, Frank
Extent: Number of containers: 6 document boxes, 1 flat storage box, 2 cartons
linear feet: 5.2
linear feet: 5.2
Repository: The
Music Library
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Shelf location: For current information on the location of these
materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language:
English.
Robert Rufer in April, 1991.
Collection is open for research.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in
writing to the Head of the Music Library.
[Identification of item], Frank Ahrold Papers, ARCHIVES AHROLD 1, The Music Library,
University of California, Berkeley.
Frank Ahrold, composer, pianist, and teacher, was born in Long Beach, California on
December 12, 1931, and died in San Francisco on April 15, 1989. He was a graduate of
U.C.L.A. (1953) where his principal teachers in composition were John Vincent and Lukas
Foss. Following a year of post-graduate work (1955-56), Ahrold became active in the
musical life of Long Beach as a conductor of the Long Beach Civic Chorus, musical
director of the Camerata dei Musici, and associate conductor of the Long Beach Civic
Light Opera.
Ahrold composed approximately 180 works, including a piano concerto, three piano sonatas,
music for ballet, two one-act operas, symphonic works, numerous art songs, and choral
works. Some compositions were recorded and released on the CRI label.
Ahrold was an active performer and appeared as soloist with the Long Beach, San Jose, and
Oakland Symphonies. He also performed in solo and chamber music recitals, and served as
accompanist for many Bay Area artists. From 1973 to 1985, he was the the pianist for the
Oakland Symphony Orchestra. In addition to numerous commissions, Ahrold had been honored
by awards from A.S.C.A.P.
The mateirals in this collection span from 1949 to 1992. Most of the materials are music
manuscripts, both scores and parts. Many of the manuscripts have unusual paginations, a
result of re-using old manuscript paper for new compositions. Thus, in some instances,
there would be two compositions interleaved in the same manuscript.
There was a large collection of concert programs and performance related materials such
as newspaper clippings of reviews, and a few photographs of performances. Most of the
programs relate to works by Ahrold. In addition, some programs are of his performances of
other composers' works. These materials are kept in the original order.
There were some correspondence, mostly business related, arranged in reverse
chronological order, as in the original state.
Ahrold also wrote program notes for local concert and had compiled a few binders of short
biographies of composers he had written. These are in two alphabetical sequences in the
Wrtings Series. The materials are disbound and refoldered.
There are full-and half-track reel-to-reel tapes as well as cassette tapes of his
concerts in the collection. Some concerts are labelled by place and others are labelled
by compositions. The condition of some tapes are brittle but most are in good condition.