Sylvia Rabinof Collection
Collection
0030-IPAM
A pianist, composer, and music educator, Sylvia Rabinof (aka Sylvia Smith) (1913-2001) performed many classical and contemporary pieces around the world with her husband, violinist Benno Rabinof. Sylvia Rabinof also wrote music improvisation books, composed piano and chamber music, and taught at SUNY Fredonia and Brevard Music Center. The collection consists of 22.00 linear feet of programs, reviews, advertisements, recordings, scores, articles, notebooks, manuscripts, catalogues, books, photographs, and correspondence related to Rabinof’s career, the music organizations she was involved in, and her relationships with her close friends and colleagues, including her first husband, violinist Benno Rabinof; her nephew, Peter M. Smith; her niece, Patricia Smith; and her second husband, lawyer and music lover Charles Rothenberg.
This collection is open for research use.
22.00 Linear Feet
The Sylvia Rabinof Collection covers the period from 1913 to 2001; the bulk of the materials date from 1935 to 1994. The collection consists of 22.00 linear feet of programs, reviews, advertisements, recordings, scores, articles, notebooks, manuscripts, catalogues, books, photographs, and correspondence related to Rabinof’s work as a performer, author, composer, and teacher, including her performances with her husband, violinist Benno Rabinof, the summer classes she taught at Brevard Music Center in North Carolina, her piano and chamber music compositions, and her involvement with various music organizations, including the Musicians Club of New York and the National Federation of Music Clubs.
This collection is arranged into eight series.
Gift of Peter M. Smith, nephew of Sylvia Rabinof, received in September 2001. Additional materials were received by Patricia Smith, niece of Sylvia Rabinof, by Peter M. Smith in October 2001, and by Patricia Smith on August 13, 2003.
An item-level inventory of scores and recordings is available upon request.
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library