Awards

Herman Frederic Lieber Award - 1972

About Julius Herford

Julius Herford was born as Julius Goldstein in Anklam, Germany, in 1901. Before immigrating to the United States, Herford studied piano with James Kwast and composition with Klatte and Arthur Willner at the Stern Conservatory (Berlin, 1917-1923). After touring as a pianist, Herford returned to Berlin where he remained until 1939. Following an invitation to join the faculty at Teachers College of Columbia University (1939-1941), Goldstein took the name Herford and moved to New York. Herford left Teachers College to teach at a variety of institutions, including the Juilliard School of Music, the Berkshire Music Center, the Union Theological Seminary, Manhattan School of Music, and Westminster Choir College. Herford moved to Bloomington, Indiana, in 1964 to fill a teaching position at the Indiana University School of Music, being promoted to professor the following year. A short time later Herford was appointed director of Graduate Studies for the Choral Conducting Department. Herford retired with the title of professor emeritus in 1971. The following year he was awarded the Herman Frederic Lieber Award for distinguished teaching.

Herford remains one of the most influential choral conductors in American choral history. Among his choral conducting students are Robert Shaw, Margaret Hillis, Roger Wagner, and Elaine Brown. Herford led the revolution in choral conducting from that of performance only to teaching and performance. Throughout his career Herford taught courses on the history and analysis of a vast array of choral works. Many of his lecture notes and personal scores are now contained in the Julius Herford Collection at the Cook Music Library of Indiana University.