Jean Berger

Jean Berger (September 27, 1909 – May 28, 2002) was a German-born pianist, composer, and music educator.

He was born in Hamm, Germany and studied musicology at the universities of Heidelberg and Vienna. He also studied composition with Louis Aubert in Paris.

From 1933 to 1939, he lived in Paris and toured widely as a pianist and accompanist. From 1939 to 1941, he was assistant conductor at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro and on the faculty of the Brazilian Conservatory. He also toured widely throughout South America.

In 1941, he moved to the United States and was drafted the following year. In 1943, he became a US citizen. He worked in the Office of War Information producing foreign-language broadcasts and USO shows until 1946. From 1946 to 1948, he worked as an arranger for CBS and NBC and toured as a concert accompanist.

In 1948, he moved into the academic world, taking a faculty position at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, which he held until 1959. From 1959 to 1961, he was on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From 1961 to 1966, he taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder and then the Colorado Women's College, Denver, Colorado from 1968 to 1971. From 1970 on, he lectured widely throughout the world on various aspects of American music.

Berger composed extensively for choral ensemble and solo voice.

He died in Aurora, Colorado.

References

*Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies [http://www.sai-national.org/phil/composers/jberger.html] . Accessed October 16, 2007