About Harriet Bolz
Lived 1909 – 1995 (aged 85–86). Harriet Bolz was an American composer.
Harriet Seymour Hallock Bolz (November 24, 1909 – March 9, 1995) was an American composer based in Ohio.
Early life and education Harriet Seymour Hallock was born in Columbus, Ohio, the daughter of Roscoe Scott Hallock and Anna Druzilla Griffith Hallock. Both of her parents were also born in Ohio. Her father was a physician. She graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and earned a bachelor's degree from Case Western Reserve University. She completed a master's degree in composition at Ohio State University. She studied with Paul Creston and Leo Sowerby. In 1965 she was recognized by the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) as winner of an adult non-professional composition competition. A piano quartet by Bolz had its premiere performance at an NFMC convention in 1983. and a 1986 harp recital at the University of Iowa. After a 1985 concert at Georgia State University, a reviewer described her Floret, a short piece for piano, as "witty, brilliantly pianistic." She attended a 1992 concert at the Lancaster Festival composers' symposium, saying "I'm always happy to have things performed. That's how you learn."
Since her death, works by Bolz continue to appear on concert programs, including a 1997 program at George Washington University; a 2004 concert in Fort Lauderdale; and a 2015 workshop by the Chamber Musicians of Northern California. Compositions Many of Bolz's works were published by Hildegard Publishing, Arsis Press, Sam Fox Publishing, Choral Arts Publications, Beckenhorst Press, and Harold Branch Publishing. Floret: A Mood Caprice for Piano Two Profiles for Piano "Cradle Song" (1943, a setting for a William Blake poem) Carol of the Flowers (1967, for choir) Pageant Prelude (1969) Lyric Designs for Orchestra (1970s) Repartee Rhapsodic (for flute and harp) Episode for Organ: Autumn Joy Episode Prismatic for Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone and Piano Sonic Essay and Fugue for Organ (1981) Festive Fantasia (1995, for clarinet, bassoon, and French horn) How Shall We Speak? Sweet Jesus Ricochet Such Be the Thought
Personal life In 1937, Hallock married Harold August Bolz, an engineering professor at Ohio State University. They had three sons, William, Everett, and Eric. She died in 1995, at the age of 85, in Columbus.
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Important facts
People in Harriet Bolz's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Harriet Bolz's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Harriet Bolz?
American composer
When was Harriet Bolz born?
Harriet Bolz was born in 1909.
When did Harriet Bolz die?
Harriet Bolz died in 1995.
What was Harriet Bolz's occupation?
Harriet Bolz was a composer.
What nationality was Harriet Bolz?
Harriet Bolz was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Harriet Bolz. https://biography.guide/harriet-bolz/
MLA: "Harriet Bolz." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/harriet-bolz/.
Chicago: "Harriet Bolz." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/harriet-bolz/.
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