Details

Subject(s)

• Lewin, Frank [Browse]
• Composers—United States—20th century [Browse]
• Composition (Music)—United States—20th century [Browse]
• Television music—United States—20th century [Browse]

Form/​Genre

• Correspondence
• Sheet music
• Sound recordings

Compiled/​Created

1938-2012 (bulk 1951-2007)

Arrangement

Organized into the following series: Music; Television and Film Scores and Video; Teaching, Lectures, and Seminars; Business of Composition; Burning Bright Research and Production; Publicity and Programs; Writings; Correspondence; Early Years; Recordings; and Digital Files.

Restrictions note

• This collection is stored offsite. Please consult with the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections about having the collection recalled to Firestone Library for your use. This process normally requires 48-72 hours notice.
• Consult curator for access to audiovisual materials and digital files. Due to technology considerations for providing access, advance notice is required.

Biographical/​Historical note

Frank Lewin was born in 1925 in Breslau, Germany. He and his family escaped from Germany in 1939, spent a year in Cuba, and came to the United States in 1940. Lewin received his Bachelor of Music degree from Yale University School of Music in 1951. Lewin composed and edited music for feature, documentary, and television films, including dozens of original scores for THE DEFENDERS and THE NURSES. He also wrote incidental music for plays, scores for historical outdoor dramas, and the opera BURNING BRIGHT, based on the novel and play of the same name by John Steinbeck. Lewin was a professor at the Yale School of Music from 1971 to 1992, teaching composition for film, and at the Columbia University School of the Arts from 1975 to 1989. He received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and was a member of BMI, the American Composers Alliance, and the Composers Guild of New Jersey. Lewin lived in Princeton, New Jersey, from 1951 until his death in 2008.

Summary note

The collection consists of papers related to Frank Lewin's career as a composer, including sheet music, sound and video recordings, research notes, publicity and programs, correspondence, and digital files.

Source acquisition

Gift of the Frank Lewin Estate in 2014 and 2016 (AM 2014-109).