The Autographs and Collectible Memorabilia Blog

Maurizio Pollini: The Life and Times of a Celebrated Pianist

[CLICKABLE IMAGE] A young Maurizio Pollini Maurizio Pollini was a famed Italian pianist. He was born on 5 January 1942 and died on 23 March 2024 at the age of 82. For the latter half of the 20th century, Pollini was hailed as one of the greats of the keyboard....

Seiji Ozawa: A Life and Career in Classical Music

Born September 1st, 1935, Seiji Ozawa passed away at the age of 88 on February 6th, 2024. Seiji Ozawa was a renowned orchestra conductor with a career spanning over five decades, most notably as the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 2002. Ozawa was celebrated for...

Farewell to Grace Bumbry: A Life of Trailblazing Success

THE BIRTH OF A STAR Grace Melzia Bumbry (1937-2023) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 4, 1937; the third child of Benjamin Bumbry, a railroad freight handler, and Melzia Bumbry, a teacher, a family of modest meands, deeply religious and highly musical. [IMAGE] A beautiful black-and-white photograph signed...

Farewell to Record Collector Larry Holdridge

Record collector and dealer Larry Holdridge - a unique and important member of the classical music community passed on February 7th, 2023. Lawrence “Larry” Holdridge of Amityville, New York was 83 years old and died after a short illness. His key place in the current music scene was little known,...

Farewell to Aldo Mancusi - Founder of the Enrico Caruso Museum of America

Our dear friend Aldo Mancusi passed away this May at 92 years old. While the world will miss him greatly, we are fortunate enough to be left with his lasting legacy, the Enrico Caruso Museum of America. In honor of our beloved Aldo, we want to reflect on his life...

Teresa Berganza: The Legacy of a Spanish Opera Star

A dramatic figure with flashing dark eyes, Teresa Berganza passed away last May 13th, 2022, at 89, and was acclaimed as a coloratura mezzo-soprano, with a vocal register that was warm at its lower range and supple at its higher end. Her repertoire included mostly the operas of Mozart and Rossini and...

Edita Gruberova – Famed Coloratura Soprano Passes Away at 74

Celebrated Slovak soprano Edita Gruberova captivated fans around the globe during a career that spanned over five decades. She died at the age of 74 on October 18, 2021, leaving behind a legacy that included over 700 performances. Take a moment to explore the life and times of this renowned...

Farewell to Christa Ludwig

Christa Ludwig, one of the greatest mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century, passed away at the age of 93 at her home in Klosterneuburg, Austria. Ms. Ludwig was a renowned singer and stage actor who brought power and charisma to every song and role. Her career spanned close to half a...

James Levine: Conductor and Scandal

The death of American conductor James Levine in March 2021 is inevitably marked by renewed discussion of the termination of his contract at the Metropolitan Opera due to his sexually abusive and harassing conduct towards vulnerable artists in the early stages of their careers throughout his professional life. It is...

Pianist Leon Fleisher Just Passed Away

The celebrated American musician Leon Fleisher (sometimes incorrectly spelled as Leon Fleischer) has died in a hospice in Baltimore at the age of 92. Born in 1928 in San Francisco to Isidore and Bertha Fleisher, both Jewish immigrants, his parents managed the family’s two hat shops. Drawn to the piano from...

Farewell to Jon Vickers 1926-2015

On July 10th, 2015, the legendary Canadian tenor Jon Vickers died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 88 years old. A peerless performer, showman, and friend Jon Vickers was a legendary opera singer for almost four decades. During his lengthy career, Jon accumulated many awards and accolades...

Farewell to Claudio Abbado (1933-2014)

Claudio Abbado, one of Italy’s finest conductors of the modern age, passed away from stomach cancer on January 20, 2014. He left an impact on major orchestras across Europe and in North America, which was preserved on several seminal recordings. Conducting Career Abbado came from a very musical family and...

Farewell to conductor Colin Davis

Colin Davis, one of England’s premier musical talents, passed away in the spring of 2013. He left behind countless recordings of compositions that covered a breadth of composers in a career that spanned decades and continents. Conducting Career Sir Colin Rex Davis was not supposed to be a conductor. When...

Farewell to: Van Cliburn, American Classical Pianist

Van Cliburn, one of America’s most famous pianists, unfortunately passed away in 2013. He left behind a legacy of storied musical achievements, humanitarianism, and a competition that draws young pianists to this day, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Musical Achievements Cliburn was born on July 12, 1934, in Louisiana....

Farewell to Wolfgang Sawallisch, German Conductor

The prolific German conductor, Wolfgang Sawallisch, left us on February 22, 2013. He left behind many recordings, particularly of his beloved Strauss, and made an impact on several orchestras across the globe. Early Life Wolfgang Sawallisch was born on August 26, 1923, in Munich, Germany. He was passionate about music...

Farewell to Roger Gross (1938-2013)

We received the sad news that our dear friend and colleague Roger Gross passed away. Roger died peacefully at his home last Friday, January 4th, 2013. He was not only a truly wonderful person but someone worldwide admired for his deep knowledge of opera and classical music and the business of music memorabilia. We...

Farewell to Lisa Della Casa, Galina Vishnevskaya & Charles Rosen

Farewell to Lisa Della Casa Lisa Della Casa lived for music until she passed away in 2012 at the age of 93. The stunning Swiss soprano astonished audiences in Europe and the United States with her beauty, subtle stage presence, and the power of her singing voice. A Star Is...

Farewell to Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012)

Hans Werner Henze, one of continental Europe’s most influential 20th century composers, left us in 2012. Hans Henze’s expansive oeuvre of politically charged operas, ballets, and other classical works lives on. Musical Influence Henze’s body of work is known for its breadth of musical influences. Throughout his long, storied life,...

THE AUTOGRAPH BLOG

Maurizio Pollini: The Life and Times of a Celebrated Pianist

Seiji Ozawa: A Life and Career in Classical Music

Farewell to Grace Bumbry: A Life of Trailblazing Success

Farewell to Record Collector Larry Holdridge

Farewell to Aldo Mancusi - Founder of the Enrico Caruso Museum of America

Teresa Berganza: The Legacy of a Spanish Opera Star

Edita Gruberova – Famed Coloratura Soprano Passes Away at 74

Farewell to Christa Ludwig

James Levine: Conductor and Scandal

Pianist Leon Fleisher Just Passed Away

Farewell to Jon Vickers 1926-2015

Farewell to Claudio Abbado (1933-2014)

Farewell to conductor Colin Davis

Farewell to: Van Cliburn, American Classical Pianist

Farewell to Wolfgang Sawallisch, German Conductor

Farewell to Roger Gross (1938-2013)

Farewell to Lisa Della Casa, Galina Vishnevskaya & Charles Rosen

Farewell to Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012)

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Framing and Storing Autographs