Robert Gross

Robert Arthur Gross (Colorado Springs, 1914 – Los Angeles, 1983) was an American violinist and composer whose career unfolded chiefly in New York and, later, on the West Coast. His importance lies in his work as an interpreter of the music of his own time, at a period when many works by contemporary composers had not yet secured a stable place in the concert repertoire.

He trained at the Juilliard School in New York from 1926 to 1934, where he studied violin with Edouard Dethier and Leopold Auer, and composition with Bernard Wagenaar. He completed his education with informal advice from Schoenberg and Sessions. As a soloist he gave numerous premieres: he presented Hindemith's Concerto in New York in 1945, and premiered concertos by Sessions (1940) and Imbrie (1958). The latter took him to Britain for his debut with the New Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Handford, in 1967. Several composers dedicated sonatas and other works to him, among them Kohs, Krenek and Sessions.

He was admired for his impeccable technique, refined phrasing and warmth of communication, as well as for his generous support of contemporary composers. In 1949 he joined the music faculty of Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he received the Distinguished Faculty Award in 1960 and chaired the department on two separate occasions. His legacy is bound up both with his premieres and with his dedication to teaching.