Edward Alexander MacDowell (1860-1908) was one of the most well known composers in the nineteenth century and as also one of the first to gain international recognition. " His native land not only accepted but encouraged him-and heaped praise upon him, often so extravagantly as to put his sensitive nature ill at ease. (539, Kingman)" Very talented at the piano and a great composer, Macdowell is one of the first American composers to win international praise. He stands critically as one of the pioneers of artistic music in our nation's history. Not only is his music compelling, his personal life is also quite eventful.
             Born on December 18th 1860, Edward MacDowell was a musically and artistically talented as a boy who started piano lessons at the age of eight with Juan Buitratgo, a violinist living with MacDowells at the time. Later he studied with a Cuban friend of Juan's, Pablo Desvernine, and also took occasional lessons from Teresa Carreno, another of Juan's friends.
             In April of 1876, Edward, his mother, and Juan moved to Paris, France so he could better his studies. On October 31, 1877 he was accepted at a music academy called the Conservatoire. In that year he won a full ride scholarship and admission award as a regular piano student. On September 9, 1878 MacDowell withdrew from the Conservatoire to move to Germany to continue his piano studies.
             At the end of July of 1880, MacDowell came back to America to teach lessons of his own. One of his students was his future wife Marian Griswold Nevins Then in 1881 the Darmstadt Conservatory, where he taught for one year, appointed him piano instructor. His reason for leaving was that his profession gave him little time to compose. After creating such successful works as First Modern Suite op.10 and his First Piano Concerto, he realized that he had a talent for composing. He decided to ask advice from his former friend and teacher Teresa Car...