The archives of Viola "Ruth" Orcutt Bacon (1900 – 2003), composer, instructor, pianist, musician, were donated to the Music Collection of the University of Hawaii, by her granddaughter, Ruth Brydon. The donation was received in April 2003.
Linear feet of shelf space: 1.33
Approximate number of items: 129
Access to the papers and music of Viola "Ruth" Orcutt Bacon is dictated by the access policy of the Music Archives of the Sinclair Library. Click here to view the access policy. Patrons are welcome to access these materials by contacting the Music Librarian, Gregg Geary (geary@hawaii.edu), who will set up an appointment to access the archive.
Viola "Ruth" Orcutt Bacon was born Viola Orcutt in Gillespie, Illinois in 1900. She began playing the piano at the age of four. Bacon received her music education at Forest Park University for Women in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned her Master’s Degree at the Chicago Musical College. For her master's thesis she wrote a concerto for piano and orchestra, which she performed with the Chicago Symphony orchestra. Bacon studied under Percy Grainger and Ernest Richard Kroeger. After earning her Master’s Degree, Bacon joined the music faculty at the University of Kansas, where she taught for 18 years. Bacon left the University of Kansas in 1946 to teach in Honolulu, Hawai’i’s Punahou School. While in Hawai’i, she met and married Burt Bacon, a field superintendent at 'Ewa Plantation. Ruth Bacon taught music at Punahou for 10 years. She also gave lessons out of her 'Ewa home for 20 years. Bacon performed as a soloist with the Honolulu Symphony on several occasions. In 1976, Burt and Ruth Bacon moved to Pohai Nani Good Samaritan Retirement Community, where she became the music association's chairwoman and she continued to teach. She continued playing the piano well into her 90s. The Windward Community Arts Council honored Bacon for her 80 years of teaching piano. Bacon died February 22, 2003. She was 103.
The documents donated to the Music Collection of the University of Hawaii span the years of 1902 to 1992. The bulk of the documents consist of music scores of the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, either copied for performance or hand written during composition. Other documents include the music scores for other compositions of Ruth Orcutt Bacon, copyright confirmation for the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, letters, a phonodisc, and other materials.
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