The Theodore Presser Company is an American

music publishing A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers started to play a role in the management of the intellect ...

and

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics * Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

company located in Malvern, Pennsylvania, formerly King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and originally based in

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Bryn Mawr, pronounced , from Welsh language, Welsh for big hill, is a census-designated place (CDP) located across three townships: Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, Radnor Township and Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, Haverford Township in Delaw ...

. It is the oldest continuing music publisher in the United States. It has been owned by

Carl Fischer Music Carl Fischer Music (founded in 1872) is a sheet music publisher based in New York City's East Village. The company has since moved to the Wall Street area in 2013. After 140 years, the company remains a family-owned business, publishing both perf ...

since 2004.

History

Theodore Presser

Theodore Presser was born July 3, 1848, in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, to German emigrant Christian Presser and Caroline Dietz. As a young man, he worked in an iron foundry helping to mold cannon balls for the army during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. This activity proved too strenuous for his young physique, and at 16, he began selling tickets for the Strokosch Opera Company in Pittsburgh. In 1864, he began working as a clerk at C.C. Mellor's music store in Pittsburgh. He eventually achieved the position of sheet-music department manager. Presser began his musical studies at 19 by learning to play the piano. At 20, he began studies music at Mt. Union College, where he stayed for a year, and then worked as a piano teacher at Ohio Northern University for two years. Further studies were completed at Miami Conservatory of Music, the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music Music school, conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The ...

, and the Leipzig Conservatory in Germany under

Reinecke Reinecke is a surname. Notable people with the name include * Carl Reinecke (1824–1910), German composer, pianist and conductor * Edwin Reinecke (1924– 2016), former Lieutenant Governor of California * Hans-Peter Reinecke Hans-Peter Reine ...

, Jadassoh, and Zwintscher. His late start in learning to play the piano handicapped his technique. Theodore Presser's house in Lynchburg, Va

He is credited as the founder of the Department of Music at

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consorti ...

, where he taught 1876–1878. While there, he founded the Music Teachers National Association. His studies in Germany lasted from 1878 to 1880. He then became director of music at Hollins College in

Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke ( ) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond. It is ...

. In October 1883, while working at Hollins, he began publication of '' The Etude'' music magazine with only $250 in cash. The immediate success of his new magazine prompted him to seek larger publishing facilities in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

in 1884. Presser died in Philadelphia on October 28, 1925. He married Helen Louise Curran (1890; d. 1905) and Elise Houston (1908; d. 1922). He is interred at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

The Presser Company

Presser's need for music content within ''The Etude'' resulted in his establishment as a dealer and publisher. Following the purchase of the John Church Company in 1930, the Theodore Presser Company acquired the

Oliver Ditson Oliver Ditson (October 20, 1811 – December 21, 1888) was an American businessman and founder of Oliver Ditson and Company, one of the major music publishing houses of the late 19th century. Early life and career Oliver Ditson was born in Bos ...

Company in 1931. Through this acquisition, Presser traces its origins to 1783, when Batelle's Book Store (later the Oliver Ditson Company), began a music-publishing business in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1972, the Theodore Presser Company acquired Elkan-Vogel and its locally represented agencies (including Hamelle et cie., Henry Lemoine et cie., and others), making the Theodore Presser Company a major distributor of French music in the United States. On August 31, 2004, Presser closed its retail music stores in both King of Prussia and Center City Philadelphia. The company now focuses primarily on publishing and distribution activities from its headquarters. In 2017, Presser acquired Columbia Music Company, founded by Sophocles Papas. In addition to its own catalog, Presser represents the music of more than 70 U.S. and foreign publishers, including

Universal Edition Universal Edition (UE) is a classical music publishing firm. Founded in 1901 in Vienna, they originally intended to provide the core classical works and educational works to the Austrian market (which had until then been dominated by Leipzig-bas ...

Peermusic Peermusic is a United States-based independent music publisher. History Ralph Peer, a field recording engineer and A&R representative for Victor Records, went on a scouting trip to Bristol, Tennessee. For two weeks, he recorded artists such a ...

Classical,

Éditions Alphonse Leduc The Éditions Alphonse Leduc company is a prominent French music publishing house specializing in classical music. It was created in Paris in 1841. Since January 2014, Leduc is part of the Wise Music Group (formerly the Music Sales Group). His ...

, and

Bärenreiter Bärenreiter (Bärenreiter-Verlag) is a German classical music publishing house based in Kassel. The firm was founded by Karl Vötterle (1903–1975) in Augsburg in 1923, and moved to Kassel in 1927, where it still has its headquarters; it al ...

Presser Foundation

The publishing company that Presser founded was so successful that in 1906, Presser was able to express his appreciation to those who made this success possible by establishing the Presser Home for Retired Music Teachers located on West Johnson Street in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. His philanthropic zeal is continued to this day through his foresight in forming the Presser Foundation in 1916, nine years before his death. Each year, the Presser Foundation awards scholarships, grants, and funds specifically to further the cause of music and music education in America.

Composers published by Theodore Presser

* Samuel Adler * William Albright *

Martin Amlin Martin Amlin (born June 12, 1953) is an American composer and pianist. He was born in Dallas, Texas.Martin Aml ...

* Daniel Asia *

P.D.Q. Bach P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer invented by the American musical satirist Peter Schickele, who developed a five-decade-long career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the Bach family. Schickele's music combines ...

* Seymour Barab *

Irwin Bazelon Irwin Bazelon (June 4, 1922 in Evanston, Illinois – August 2, 1995) was an American composer of contemporary classical music. Contemporary American composer Irwin Bazelon's music is known for its interesting rhythms and its emphasis on th ...

Warren Benson Warren Benson (January 26, 1924 – October 6, 2005) was an American composer. His compositions consist mostly of music for wind instruments and percussion. His most notable piece is titled ''The Leaves Are Falling''. Biography Benson was born in ...

* Chester Biscardi * William Bolcom *

Victoria Bond Victoria Ellen Bond (born 6 May 1945) is an American conductor and composer in New York City. Early life Victoria Bond was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of operatic bass and medical doctor Philip Bond (a vocalist with the New York ...

* Louis Calabro * Ronald Caltabiano *

Chen Yi Chen Yi may refer to: * Xuanzang (602–664), born as Chen Yi, Chinese Buddhist monk in Tang Dynasty * Chen Yi (Kuomintang) Chen Yi (; courtesy names Gongxia (公俠) and later Gongqia (公洽), sobriquet Tuisu (退素); May 3, 1883 – June ...

* Valerie Coleman * Ruth Crawford * Daniel Dorff * John Downey * Henri Dutilleux * Donald Erb * Eric Ewazen * David Felder * Carlos Gardels *

Ricky Ian Gordon Ricky Ian Gordon (born May 15, 1956) is an American composer of art song, opera and musical theatre. Life Gordon was born in Oceanside, New York. He was raised by his mother, Eve, and father, Sam, and he grew up on Long Island with his three sist ...

Adolphus Hailstork Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork III (born April 17, 1941) is an American composer and educator.De Lerma, Dominique-Rene"African Heritage Symphonic Series" Liner note essay. Cedille Records CDR061. He was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up i ...

* Iain Hamilton * Donald Harris *

Michael Hersch Michael Nathaniel Hersch (born June 25, 1971) is an American composer and pianist. Biography Early life and musical education Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Reston, Virginia, Hersch was introduced to classical music at the age of 18 ...

Lejaren Hiller Lejaren Arthur Hiller Jr. (February 23, 1924, New York City – January 26, 1994, Buffalo, New York)Lejaren H ...

* Katherine Hoover * Huang Ruo *

Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed ...

* Stephen Jaffe *

Robert Jager Robert Edward Jager (born August 25, 1939) is an American composer, music theorist and a conductor. Life Jager was born in Binghamton, New York on August 25, 1939. From 1962 to 1965 he was arranger/composer for the US-Navy Armed Forces School ...

* Martin Kennedy * Earl Kim * William Kraft * Ezra Laderman * Henri Lazarof * David Leisner * Gerald Levinson *

Peter Scott Lewis Peter Scott Lewis (born August 31, 1953 in San Rafael, California) is an American composer of contemporary classical music. Career Lewis's works have been commissioned and/or performed by the Rotterdam Philharmonic; Princeton Symphony Orchestra; ...

* Lowell Liebermann *

Philip Maneval Philip Maneval (born 1956) is an American composer and arts administrator. As a composer, Maneval has written more than 35 solo, chamber music and orchestral works which have been played by groups including the Chicago String Quartet and Miami ...

James Matheson Sir James Nicolas Sutherland Matheson, 1st Baronet, FRS (17 November 179631 December 1878), was a Scottish Tai-Pan. Born in Shiness, Lairg, Sutherland, Scotland, he was the son of Captain Donald Matheson. He attended Edinburgh's Royal High Sch ...

* William Mayer * John Melby * Robert Moevs *

Robert Muczynski Robert Muczynski (March 19, 1929 – May 25, 2010) was a Polish-American composer. Muczynski studied piano with Walter Knupfer and composition with Alexander Tcherepnin at DePaul University in Chicago, where he received both his Bachelor of Mu ...

Jeffrey Mumford Jeffrey Mumford (born June 22, 1955) is a U.S. composer whose orchestral works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati ...

Jeff Nichols Jeff Nichols (born December 7, 1978) is an American film director and screenwriter from Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Nichols is most known for his films '' Take Shelter'' (2 ...

Carter Pann Carter Pann (born February 21, 1972 in La Grange, Illinois) is an American composer. He studied composition and piano at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Hi ...

* Thomas Pasatieri *

George Perle George Perle (6 May 1915 – 23 January 2009) was an American composer and music theorist. As a composer, his music was largely atonal, using methods similar to the twelve-tone technique of the Second Viennese School. This serialist style, and ...

Vincent Persichetti Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (June 6, 1915 – August 14, 1987) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, he was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own wo ...

Marta Ptaszynska Marta Ptaszyńska (born 29 July 1943) is a Polish composer, percussionist and professor of music at the University of Chicago. She has been described by the Polish Music Center of the University of Southern California as "one of the best known Poli ...

* Shulamit Ran *

Behzad Ranjbaran Behzad Ranjbaran ( fa, بهزاد رنجبران; born 1955, in Tehran, Iran) is a Persian composer, known for his virtuosic concertos and colorful orchestral music. Ranjbaran's music draws from his cultural roots, incorporating Persian musical mo ...

Jay Reise Jay Reise (born 1950) is an American composer. Biography Reise spent his childhood surrounded by classical music and jazz, but began his composition studies with Jimmy Giuffre and Hugh Hartwell in 1970. After graduating at Hamilton College in 1 ...

George Rochberg George Rochberg (July 5, 1918May 29, 2005) was an American composer of contemporary classical music. Long a serial composer, Rochberg abandoned the practice following the death of his teenage son in 1964; he claimed this compositional technique ...

* Bernard Rogers * Carl Ruggles *

Peter Schickele "Professor" Peter Schickele (; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also hosted ...

Gary Schocker Gary Schocker (born October 18, 1959) is an American flutist, composer, and pianist who has performed with the New York Philharmonic (at age 15, in a nationally televised Young People's Concert), the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony ...

* William Schuman *

Amy Scurria Amy Scurria (born September 24, 1973) is an American composer. Biography Amy Scurria was born into a military family and showed an early interest in music, memorizing the piano assignments of her sister Jackie. At age 11 she took lessons under t ...

* Sophie Seipt * Roger Sessions * Ralph Shapey * Louise Siddall * Netty Simons *

Nellie Bangs Skelton Cornelia (“Nellie”) Pomeroy Bangs Skelton DePue (August 8, 1855 - November 23, 1911) was an American composer, pianist, singer and vocal coach who toured the United States as a pianist. She published and performed as Nellie Bangs Skelton. Skelt ...

Hale Smith Hale Smith (June 29, 1925 – November 24, 2009) was an American composer, arranger, and pianist.De Lerma, Dominique-Rene"African Heritage Symphonic Series" Liner note essay. Cedille CDR061. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he learned pian ...

* Julia Frances Smith *

Louise Spizizen Louise Fleur Meyers Schlesinger Spizizen (August 24, 1928 - July 2, 2010) was an American composer, critic, harpsichordist/pianist, and singer. She is best remembered today for her research and controversial claim that pianist Johana Harris actually ...

* Louise E. Stairs *

Steven Stucky Steven Edward Stucky (November 7, 1949 − February 14, 2016) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer. Life and career Stucky was born in Hutchinson, Kansas. At age 9, he moved with his family to Abilene, Texas, where, as a teenager, he ...

* Robert Suderburg * Francis Thorne * George Tsontakis *

J. Lilian Vandevere J. Lillian Vandevere (Jul 1885 – 10 May 1957) was an American author, composer, and music educator. She is best remembered today for her compositions for rhythm band and toy orchestra, and her work on the California State Series textbooks for mus ...

* Cecile Vashaw *

Marion Verhaalen Marion Verhaalen (9 December 1930 – 16 March 2020) was an American composer, music educator, musicologist, and nun who published books about Latin American composers and music. Verhaalen was born in Milwaukee, the fifth child of Carl and Aǵnes ...

* Hazel Volkart * Marion Vree * Melinda Wagner *

Caroline Holme Walker Caroline Holme Walker (June 14, 1863 – January 19, 1955) was an American composer, pianist, and teacher who transcribed bird songs into standard musical notation. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Walker studied with Anna Strothotte, James Nor ...

* David Ward-Steinman *

Mabel Madison Watson Mabel Madison Watson (December 16, 1872 – September 12, 1952) was an American composer who taught piano and violin students. She was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to James Madison Watson and Emma Hopper Watson. Her father wrote several school tex ...

* Alliene Brandon Webb * Hugo Weisgall * Dan Welcher * Richard Wernick * Roger Zare *

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Ellen Taaffe Zwilich ( ; born April 30, 1939) is an American composer, the first female composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Her early works are marked by atonal exploration, but by the late 1980s, she had shifted to a postmodernist, n ...

References

External links

Theodore Presser Company (Official Site)The Presser FoundationComplete Listing of Composers Published by Theodore PresserComplete listing of Music Publishers Affiliated with Theodore PresserCarl Fischer Music
* (publisher page) {{Authority control Music publishing companies of the United States Companies based in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Sheet music publishing companies United States National Medal of Arts recipients Publishing companies established in 1883 1883 establishments in Pennsylvania