Augustus Juilliard
Encyclopedia
Augustus D. Juilliard was an American
businessman whose philanthropy built the renowned conservatory of dance, music, and theatre in New York City
that bears his name, The Juilliard School.
, Juilliard was born at sea while his parents were en route to the United States. His parents were Jean Nicolas Juilliard, a shoemaker, and Anna Burlette, who were both Huguenot
s. Augustus was raised in Ohio
. In 1866, he settled in New York City and worked for a manufacturing company of worsted
fabrics. The company went bankrupt seven years later in 1873 and Augustus Juilliard created his own corporation, the Augustus D. Juilliard Company, in 1874 which distributed textiles including wool, silk, and cotton. He became a successful and wealthy merchant who added to his fortune through investments in banking, railroad and insurance. He resided on Tuxedo Park
, NY where he owned a grand mansion. A patron of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
and the American Museum of Natural History
, he served as President of the Metropolitan Opera
from 1892 until his death.
in The Bronx, New York.
(godson of Franz Liszt
) dedicated to providing a teaching level equaling that of the Europe
an conservatories.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman whose philanthropy built the renowned conservatory of dance, music, and theatre in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that bears his name, The Juilliard School.
Career
The son of immigrants from the Burgundy region of FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Juilliard was born at sea while his parents were en route to the United States. His parents were Jean Nicolas Juilliard, a shoemaker, and Anna Burlette, who were both Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s. Augustus was raised in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. In 1866, he settled in New York City and worked for a manufacturing company of worsted
Worsted
Worsted , is the name of a yarn, the cloth made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from the village of Worstead in the English county of Norfolk...
fabrics. The company went bankrupt seven years later in 1873 and Augustus Juilliard created his own corporation, the Augustus D. Juilliard Company, in 1874 which distributed textiles including wool, silk, and cotton. He became a successful and wealthy merchant who added to his fortune through investments in banking, railroad and insurance. He resided on Tuxedo Park
Tuxedo Park
Tuxedo Park may refer to:*Tuxedo Park, Missouri, a community now merged with Webster Groves, Missouri*Tuxedo Park, New York, U.S.**Tuxedo Park , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York...
, NY where he owned a grand mansion. A patron of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
and the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, he served as President of the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
from 1892 until his death.
Death
Augustus D. Juilliard died in 1919, aged 83, and was interred in the family mausoleum at the Woodlawn CemeteryWoodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and is a designated National Historic Landmark.A rural cemetery located in the Bronx, it opened in 1863, in what was then southern Westchester County, in an area that was annexed to New York City in 1874.The cemetery covers more...
in The Bronx, New York.
Legacy
His will included gifts to hospitals, museums and other charitable causes but the vast majority of his estate was designated for the advancement of music in the United States. In 1924, his funds were used by the Trustees to establish the Juilliard Graduate School to assist excelling students with an advanced music education. In 1926, the school was merged with the New York Institute of Musical Art, a music academy established in 1905 by Dr. Frank DamroschFrank Damrosch
Frank Heino Damrosch was a German-born American music conductor and educator.-Biography:He was born on June 22, 1859 in Breslau, and came to the United States with his father, Leopold Damrosch, and brother, Walter Damrosch in 1871. He had studied music in Germany under Dionys Pruckner. He studied...
(godson of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
) dedicated to providing a teaching level equaling that of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an conservatories.