Joseph Wetzels Belgian Piano-String Quartet memorabilia, 1928-1942

Series

Identifier: MSS 7873 Series 2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This series contains documents relating to the Belgian Piano-String Quartet: manuscript history of the first decade, repertory lists, concert programs (1933-1941), manuscript biographical notes on various composers with ties to Wetzels or those Wetzels had interest in, and photographs of the Quartet (autographed), 1928-1942.

Dates

Creation: 1928-1942

Creator

Wetzels, Joseph, 1896-1953 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open to public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Joseph Wetzels scores and papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical note

From the Collection:

Joseph Wetzels (1896-1953) is a noted violoncellist who lived and worked in Utah.

Joseph Wetzels was born August 25, 1896 in Verviers, Belgium. He attended the Conservatory of Verviers and graduated in 1915 with a First Prize in violoncello, chamber music, and solfege (the equivalent to an American B.M.). A year later, in 1916, he received a BA from the College of Verviers, and then a First Prize in violoncello at the Royal Conservatory of Liege in 1917. Wetzels received additional study with Pablo Casals in Barcelona, Maitre Jacques Gaillard in Brussels, and studied composition with Sylvain Dupuis in Liege. Over the course of his life, he performed with the Bilbao Symphony in Spain (1921-1927), the Orchestre National de Belgique (1928-1940), the Greeley Philharmonic (1945-1949), and the Utah Symphony Orchestra (1949-1953), often in the capacity of first cellist, assistant conductor, or both. His most notable accomplishment was founding the Belgian Piano-String Quartet in 1928, which toured Europe and America to critical acclaim as an official representative of the Belgian government. In 1939, he was decorated by the King of Belgium as "Chevalier de l’Ordre de Leopold II de Belgique." He died in Salt Lake City, December 16, 1953.