Winthrop Sargeant

Winthrop Sargeant (December 10, 1903 – August 15, 1986) was an American music critic, violinist, and writer.

Early life

Sargeant was born in San Francisco, California on December 10, 1903. He studied violin in his native city with Albert Elkus, and with Felix Prohaska and Lucien Capet in Europe.

From 1949 to 1972, he wrote the column Musical Events for The New Yorker. He continued to write music criticism for that publication until his death in 1986 at the age of 82. His books included Jazz: Hot and Hybrid (1938), Geniuses, goddesses, and people (1949), Listening to music (1958), Jazz: a history (1964), In spite of myself: a personal memoir (1970), Divas (1973).

Other scholarship Sargeant had a long-standing interest in the Bhagavad Gītā. Sargeant published his own English translation of the Bhagavad Gītā (see article) in 1979.

Personal life Sargeant died at his home in Salisbury, Connecticut on August 15, 1986. He was survived by his wife, Jane Smith Sargeant, and his brother, Emmet Sargeant.