The National Music League (NML) was an American arts organization based in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

that was active during the 1920s through the 1960s. Founded as a non-profit institution in June 1925, the organization was dedicated to supporting and furthering the careers of talented young American classical musicians. While its goals remained the same, the organization became a for-profit incorporated institution in 1938.

Robert E. Simon Robert Edward Simon Jr. (April 10, 1914 – September 21, 2015) was an American real estate entrepreneur, most known for founding the community of Reston, Virginia. Original work: He was the maternal uncle of feminist historian and writer Eli ...

served as the organizations president for many years and

Léon Barzin Léon Eugene Barzin (November 27, 1900April 29, 1999) was a Belgian-born American conductor and founder of the National Orchestral Association (NOA), the oldest surviving training orchestra in the United States. Barzin was also the founding mu ...

served as vice president. The organization ceased operations in the early 1960s. The NML selected artists to support through annual competitive music auditions. Judges for the competition were leading musicians and teachers in the New York area, often pulling from faculty members at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

and

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

. The only requirement to compete was that the artist be under the age of 30. Winners of the competition were then awarded by having a concert series organized and promoted for them by the NML, thereby helping them to gain wider public recognition. Artists who were supported by the NML included Josephine Antoine,

Frances Blaisdell Frances Blaisdell (January 5, 1912 – March 11, 2009) was an American flautist, widely recognized as one of the first female professional flautists. She held positions with the National Orchestral Association, the New Opera Company and the New Fr ...

, Jean Carlton,

Risë Stevens Risë Stevens (; June 11, 1913 – March 20, 2013) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano and actress. Beginning in 1938, she sang for the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for more than two decades during the 1940s and 1950s. She was most ...

, Thomas Llyfnwy Thomas, and Maria Montana, among many others. In 1935 the NML presented a production of Engelbert Humperdinck's ''

Hänsel und Gretel "Hansel and Gretel" (; ) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 as part of ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). Hansel and Gretel are siblings who are abandoned in a forest and fall into the hands of a witch ...

'' at the

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after a luncheon hosted by

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

. The cast notably included bass John Gurney of later

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

fame as Peter. Beginning in 1950 the NML began a partnership with the

Jeunesses Musicales International Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI) is a global non-governmental youth music organization founded in Brussels, Belgium, in 1945. Its mission is to "enable young people to develop through music across all boundaries." JMI operates in four pr ...

in France which resulted in an annual foreign-exchange of artists. The program would allow an American musician the opportunity to do a concert tour throughout France and a French artist a United States tour. American musicians to have participated in the exchange program to France included

Sidney Harth Sidney Harth (5 October 1925 in Cleveland – 15 February 2011 in Pittsburgh) was an American violinist and conductor. Education Harth was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music and studied with Joseph Fuchs, ...

(1951-1952), Theodore Lettvin (1951-1952), Lillian Kallir (1953),

James Wolfe Major-general James Wolfe (2 January 1727 – 13 September 1759) was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of ...

(1954),

Shirlee Emmons Shirlee Emmons (August 5, 1923 – April 16, 2010) was an American classical soprano, voice teacher, and author on vocal pedagogy. She began her career in the early 1940s as a concert soprano, eventually becoming one of the original singers in t ...

(1954), and

Betty Allen Betty Allen (March 17, 1927 – June 22, 2009) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active international singing career during the 1950s through the 1970s. In the latter part of her career her voice acquired a contralto-like darkenin ...

(1955) among others. French artists in the program included

Pierre Sancan Pierre Sancan (24 October 1916 – 20 October 2008) was a French composer, pianist, teacher and conductor. Along with Olivier Messiaen and Henri Dutilleux, he was a major figure among French musicians in the mid-twentieth-century transition between ...

(1951-1952),

Philippe Entremont Philippe Entremont (born 7 June 1934) is a French classical pianist and conducting, conductor. His recordings as a pianist include concertos by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Tchaikovsky, Maurice Ravel, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Rachmaninoff, Camille Sain ...

(1953, 1955), and Blanche Tarjus (1954) among others. The exchange program expanded in 1953 to include artists from Brazil, beginning with Brazilian pianist Oriano de Almeida in 1954 and Brazilian soprano Edmée Brandi in exchange for American soprano Shirlee Emmons (1953) and violinist Joyce Flissler (1955). The Gioventù Musicale d'Italia began exchanging artists with the organization in 1955, as did the government of Mexico.

References

{{Reflist Music organizations based in the United States Arts organizations based in New York City Arts organizations established in 1925 Arts organizations disestablished in the 20th century 1925 establishments in New York City 1960s disestablishments in New York (state)