| Creator | Gronquist, Robert, 1938-1992 |
| Title | Robert Gronquist papers |
| Dates | 1968-1992 |
| Identification | MS 135 |
| Quantity | 2.5 linear feet (5 manuscript containers) |
| Collection Abstract | The Robert Gronquist papers consist of photographs, correspondence, concert programs, tour information, class notes, exams, news clippings, articles, opera texts, and student papers chronicling Gronquist's career as a musician, composer and teacher, primarily while employed at Simmons College from 1972-1992. |
| Historical Abstract | Born October 15, 1938 in Aurora, Illinois, Robert Gronquist's career spanned over thirty years as a musician, composer and teacher. After receiving a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Illinois in 1960, Gronquist went on to receive an MA in musicology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964. He was an instructor and choir director at Smith College before serving as an assistant professor at Trinity College from 1967-1972. In 1972, Gronquist came to Simmons College as a professor and Director of Musical Activities. Gronquist served as a choir director for several European tours and summer festivals. Performing as a professional with the Masters Singers of Worcester, the Hartford Chamber Choir, and the Convivial Consort, he also published original compositions, essays, and music reviews. |
| Language | Material in English. |
| Location | Collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Archives staff for more information. |
Collection is open.
Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question, unless otherwise designated.
Please contact the College Archivist with requests to publish any material from the collection.
[Identification of item: description and date], Robert Gronquist papers, MS 135, Simmons College Archives, Boston, MA, USA.
The Robert Gronquist Papers were donated to Simmons College by Mrs. Robert Gronquist in 1992.
Accession number: 92.060
Processed by Stephanie Ward, March 1996
Supervised by Claire Goodwin and Joanie Gearin, March 2006
This collection guide was encoded as part of the LEADS project by Meghann Wollitz, February 2013
Born on October 15, 1938 in Aurora, Illinois, Robert Gronquist received his B.M. at the University of Illinois in 1960 and a M.A. in Musicology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1964 In 1961, he also studied for a year at Universite d'Aix-en-Provence. Gronquist came to New England in 1964 as an instructor and director of choirs at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. He also guest lectured during this time at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts. From 1967-1972, Gronquist was an assistant professor at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Gronquist came to Simmons College in 1972, where he was professor and Director of Musical Activities. In addition to his work at Simmons, Gronquist was the Director of Choral Activities at Southeastern Massachusetts University. With Simmons choir groups, Gronquist performed in Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, England, Ireland, and Wales.
As a conductor and keyboard artist (harpsichord, organ, piano), he received numerous awards and grants for his work in musicology. He also published editions of Renaissance and Baroque choral works, original compositions, essays, and reviews. Gronquist performed across the United States and abroad including such notable places as Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian Institute, and at the Aspen Music Festival. In addition, Gronquist was a guest artist and conductor for a number of choral groups and summer festivals. Gronquist performed as a professional with the Masters Singers of Worcester, the Hartford Chamber Choir, and the Convivial Consort, a professional chamber music group that he founded.(1)
The papers of Robert Gronquist (1938-1992) consist of 2.5 linear feet of materials covering the years 1968-1992. The papers primarily document Gronquist's teaching and choir activities at Simmons College, while also including some information on his teaching at Trinity College in Connecticut, and his own musical performances. Gronquist's personal materials include curriculum vitae, data sheets, news clippings and concert programs, all relating to his career as a professional musician and teacher. Other materials pertain to Gronquist's career as a professor, and include syllabi, class notes, exams, opera texts, and papers written by students. In addition to these papers, materials from Gronquist's tenure at Simmons College include correspondence, an article written by Gronquist, and papers relating to the Art and Music Department at Simmons.
The Choir Materials series contains information regarding Gronquist's role as choir director at Simmons College, with some additional material relating to Trinity College. There are concert programs, tour information and publicity about the choirs. Another series contains black and white photos of various Simmons College and Trinity College choir groups, as well as portraits of Gronquist himself. Only one photograph has a date and few of the photographs are labeled.
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
Collection is arranged into 5 series:
Arranged alphabetically
Gronquist's personal materials contains papers regarding his life primarily while at Simmons College and related to his personal musical accomplishments outside the college. There are curriculum vitae, data sheets, and short biographical summaries of Gronquist. The series includes lists of musicians from the Boston area, as well as programs and newspaper clippings from concerts Gronquist performed in. There is also a copy of an honors thesis written by a Simmons College student in 1968 titled, "Richard Wagner: Die Walkyre Transformation in Staging Concepts at Bayreuth."
Box 1
Course material folders arranged chronologically with additional topical folders arranged alphabetically.
This series contains primarily material used by Robert Gronquist in teaching the courses, "Music and Drama," "Music in America," "Baroque Art and Music," "Perspectives in Music," "Freshman Writing," "Dance and the American Stage and Screen," and "Music and the 18th Century."
For each course, there are final exams, quizzes, syllabi, handouts, and Gronquist's handwritten class notes. There are also photocopies of articles relating to the different musical period, or type being covered. There are also copies of such opera texts as "Aida," "The Marriage of Figaro," "Tristan," "Falstaff," "Don Giovanni" and "La Boheme," as well as others. Many of these opera texts are only partial copies of the entire opera.
There are also final exams written by students for Music 139 in 1976, biographies of 20 artists that students wrote in 1975, and copies of teacher evaluation forms.
Box 1
Box 1
Box 2
Box 3
Box 4
Arranged alphabetically.
This series pertains to Gronquist's job as professor and Director of Musical Activities at Simmons College. There are association and society lists from the early 1970's, choir lists from choirs Gronquist directed or performed in, grant proposals and lists of music publishers. The correspondence found in this series is from various people complimenting performances, announcing events or discussing European music tours.
Included are a final draft of an article, "On the Role of Collage in 20th century Music," written by Robert Gronquist in 1972, various meeting minutes and memos from the art and music department at Simmons, and the Simmons Alumni Association Executive board list from 1973-74. The series also contains reference letters Gronquist wrote for others and internships available in 1988.
Box 5
Arranged alphabetically.
The materials in this series relate to Gronquist's position as choral director at Simmons College and at Trinity College. Include are choral pieces, letters and brochures announcing concert opportunities, and concert programs and newspaper clippings about the choirs. There are also folders on tours which Simmons and Trinity College choir groups went on to England, Germany, Wales, Italy, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. These folders contain tour itineraries, correspondence regarding the details of arranging the tours and concert programs and clippings from the tour concerts.
Box 5
Box 5
Arranged alphabetically by photograph description.
There are black and white photographs of Simmons College and Trinity College choir groups. All Trinity College photographs have the Trinity College stamp on the back and are contained in one folder. Simmons College choir photographs are each in separate folders with two photos being labeled as "Robert Gronquist with the Mayor of Chelsea" and "Concert at Droitwich." There are also portraits of Robert Gronquist. While one photograph of a Simmons College choir group is dated as Winter 1985, the rest of the photographs are not dated, or labeled.
Box 5
