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Creator
Banat, Gabriel
Call number
JPB 12-16
Physical description
0.42 linear feet (1 box)
Language
Materials in English
Preferred Citation

Gabriel Banat papers, Music Division, The New York Public Library

Repository
Music Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

Gabriel Banat is an American violinist who played for many years with the New York Philarmonic. He was born in Transylvania, Romania in 1926, eventually moving to Hungary. At the age of eight, he was discovered by Béla Bartók, who enabled him to be accepted at the Royal Academy in Budapest (now the Franz Liszt Academy of Music), where he won honors. In 1946 he moved to New York City where he toured with Georges Enesco, his mentor. He became a naturalized citizen in 1953. He toured in the United States, Europe and Japan, and was guest soloist with the London Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, among others. In 1970 he joined the New York Philharmonic. He was a professor at Smith College where he led the violin department. He also conducted various ensembles and organizations during his career. His research on Mozart led to publication in facsimile of Mozart's five violin concertos (Raven Press, 1986). His research on the Chevalier de Saint-Georges led to a biography (Pendragon Press, 2006) as well as numerous articles. He also edited the series "Masters of the Violin" (1981-1982). The Gabriel Banat papers document the performing career and editing/writing activities of violinist Gabriel Banat through correspondence, programs, reviews, and photographs.

Biographical/historical information

Gabriel Banat is an American violinist who played for many years with the New York Philarmonic. He was born in Transylvania, Romania in 1926, eventually moving to Hungary. At the age of eight, he was discovered by Béla Bartók, who enabled him to be accepted at the Royal Academy in Budapest (now the Franz Liszt Academy of Music), where he won honors. In 1946 he moved to New York City where he toured with Georges Enesco, his mentor. He became a naturalized citizen in 1953. He toured in the United States, Europe and Japan, and was guest soloist with the London Philharmonic, Oslo Philharmonic, among others. In 1970 he joined the New York Philharmonic. He was a professor at Smith College where he led the violin department. His extensive research on Mozart led to publication in facsimile of Mozart's five violin concertos (Raven Press, 1986). His research on the Chevalier de Saint-Georges led to a biography (Pendragon Press, 2006) as well as numerous articles.

Scope and arrangement

The Gabriel Banat papers date from approximately 1946 to 2007, and document Banat's career as a violinist with the New York Philharmonic and as a solo performer or participant in chamber music concerts. These materials include correspondence (some items from well-known conductors and musicians), programs, clippings and photographs.

The collection also includes materials (mostly correspondence) documenting Banat's work editing his facsimile publication of Mozart Violin Concertos ("The Mozart Violin Concerti: A Fascimile Edition of the Autographs" [New York: Raven Press, 1986] and writing his biography of Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges ("The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow") [Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2006].

The Gabriel Banat papers are arranged in seven series:

  • Series 1. Correspondence

    Contains letters from Leon Barzin, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Sergiu Comissiona, Eric Leinsdorf, Zubin Mehta, Yehudi Menuhin, Kurt Masur, André Kostelanetz, George Szell, and others. Includes thank you letter from Stephen Spielberg's Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation signed by Stephen Spielberg. Includes extensive letter to the Oestereichische Musik-Zeiting concerning the status of Jews in Nazi- occupied Hungary.

  • Series 2. New York Philharmonic

    Correspondence, programs, clippings and other documents concerning Banat's career with the New York Philharmonic.

  • Series 3. Festival Bahnhof Rolandseck

    Music Director Zubin Mehta chose Banat to lead members of the New York Philharmonic in their participation at the Festival Bahnhof Rolandseck in 1990-1991. Includes correspondence, clippings, programs and photographs.

  • Series 4. Clippings

    The series of clippings cover Banat's solo career. They are subdivided in two sub-series:

  • Series 5. Programs

    Programs from his 1967 complete Mozart- and 1968 '20th Century' Sonata cycles at Library's Bruno Walter Auditorium, recitals and with orchestras in the U. S. and in Europe, and conducting his Westchester Conservatory Orchestra in White Plains and at New York's Cooper Union including several with first-chair colleagues from the New York Philharmonic as soloists.

  • Series 6. Miscellaneous

    Publications, lectures, Grammy Award. NY Times reviews of concerts with NY Phil. Chamber Ensemble at Asia Society, and 'Philharmonic En Famille' at Cooper Union; conducting the staged production of Mozart's Magic Flute in his English translation in White Plains with his WC youth orchestra (by Robert Sherman). Includes correspondence and publicity concerning publications on which Banat served as editor, "Masters of the Violin" (New York: Johnson Reprint, 1981-1982) and "The Mozart Violin Concerti" (New York: Raven Press, 1986). Also includes correspondence and publicity concerning Banat's biography of Chevalier de Saint-Georges ("The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow") (Hillsdale, NY: Pendragon Press, 2006).

  • Series 7. Photographs

    Contains photographs of Banat alone, with various musicians (including Béla Bartók, Pablo Casals, Yehudi Menuhin), and in other situations. Autograph photographs include those of Leonard Bernstein (photo by Banat), Aaron Copland, Georges Enesco, and Zubin Mehta (photo by Banat).

Arrangement

I. Correspondence; II. New York Philharmonic; III. Festival Bahnhof Rolandseck; IV. Clippings; V. Programs; VI. Miscellaneous; VII. Photographs

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by Gabriel Banat, 2012

Processing information

Compiled by Bob Kosovsky, November 2012

Separated material

Sound recordings have been transferred to the Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.

Related Material

Materials concerning the New York Philharmonic strike and tour of 1973, JPB 11-21.

Using the collection

Location

Music Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

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