Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Ajemian, Anahid
2. Ajemian, Maro

Description

1. 56.72 linear feet (149 boxes, 6 oversize folders, 1 tube), 1.7 Gigabytes (148 computer files), 222 audio files, 64 video files.

Summary

1. George Mesrop Avakian (1919-2017) was an American music producer, recording executive, artist manager, writer, and educator best known for his work with artists such as Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, John Cage, Alan Hovhaness, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Rollins, his wife Anahid Ajemian, and many other musicians and composers. Violinist Anahid Ajemian (1924-2016) specialized in performing new music as a soloist; with her sister, the pianist Maro Ajemian (1921-1978); and with the Composers String Quartet. The George Avakian and Anahid Ajemian papers (1908-2016) document the careers and lives of the producer and violinist through audio and video recordings; personal and professional correspondence; photographs; scrapbooks; published and unpublished writings and speeches; contracts and other business papers; scores; clippings; programs; awards; posters; and visual art. The bulk of the collection documents George Avakian's career as a recording producer and artist manager, and the artists he worked with.

Subject

1. Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971
2. Brubeck, Dave
3. Coleman, Ornette.
4. Cage, John
5. Davis, Miles
6. Desmond, Paul, 1924-1977
7. Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974
8. Hovhaness, Alan, 1911-2000
9. Jarrett, Keith
10. Lloyd, Charles, 1938-
11. Masselos, William
12. Rollins, Sonny
13. Shankar, Ravi, 1920-2012
14. Goodman, Benny. 1909-1986
15. Columbia Records, Inc
16. Composers String Quartet
17. Pacific Jazz Records
18. RCA Records
19. Warner Bros. Records
20. Newport Jazz Festival
21. African American musicians.
22. Jazz
23. Music -- United States -- 20th century
24. Sound recording executives and producers
25. Jazz musicians.
26. Sound recording industry
27. Third stream (Music)
28. World War, 1939-1945 -- Pacific Area
29. Hiroshima-shi (Japan)
30. New York (N.Y.)
31. Philippines

Genre/Form

1. Albums (books).
2. Art (fine art)
3. Awards.
4. Business records.
5. Clippings (information artifacts)
6. Contracts.
7. Correspondence.
8. Interviews.
9. Manuscripts (documents).
10. Notated music.
11. Notes (documents).
12. Photographic prints.
13. Posters.
14. Speeches.
15. Sound recordings.
16. Video Recordings.

Call number

1. JPB 14-28

Access (note)

1. Audio and moving image materials can be used onsite at the Library for the Performing Arts. To request materials, please contact the Music Division.

Terms of use (note)

1. For permission to publish, contact the Chief, Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Source (note)

1. Purchased from George Avakian and Anahid Ajemian, 2013. Additions were donated by from Anahid Avakian in 2017.

Language (note)

1. Materials are in English, Armenian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and French.

Processing action (note)

1. Processing Information: The following scholars assisted with the identification or description of some audio recordings in this collection: Ricky Riccardi, Loren Schoenberg, George Schuller, Peter Losin, Jan Lohmann, Michael Fitzgerald, Aidan Levy, David Ostwald, and Lewis Porter. Descriptions of some of the Louis Armstrong home recordings were supplied courtesy of the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

Author

1. Avakian, George.

Title

1. George Avakian and Anahid Ajemian papers, 1908-2013.

Restricted access

1. Audio and moving image materials can be used onsite at the Library for the Performing Arts. To request materials, please contact the Music Division.

Terms of use

1. For permission to publish, contact the Chief, Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Location of other archival materials

1. Materials Separated from the Resource: The 78 RPM shellac discs from George Avakian's personal copy of the Decca Chicago Jazz album can be accessed under these call numbers: *LO 10729, *LO 10730, *LO 10731, *LO 10732, *LO 10733, and *LO 10734.

Language

1. Materials are in English, Armenian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, and French.

Processing action

1. Processing Information: The following scholars assisted with the identification or description of some audio recordings in this collection: Ricky Riccardi, Loren Schoenberg, George Schuller, Peter Losin, Jan Lohmann, Michael Fitzgerald, Aidan Levy, David Ostwald, and Lewis Porter. Descriptions of some of the Louis Armstrong home recordings were supplied courtesy of the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

Source

1. Purchased from George Avakian and Anahid Ajemian, 2013. Additions were donated by from Anahid Avakian in 2017.

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Music & Recorded Sound Division Special Collections material
2. NYPL Digital Collections
3. Finding aid

Occupation

1. Musicians.
2. Sound engineers.

Added author

1. Ajemian, Anahid. contributor.
2. Ajemian, Maro. contributor.

Research call number

1. JPB 14-28