Representative women of New England/Mary A. Kotzschmar
MARY A. KOTZSCHMAR, wife of the organist, conductor, and composer, Hermann Kotzschmar, of Portland, has made for herself an enviable reputation in the musical circles of that city. She was born in Sacramento, Cal., in 1852. Her parents, Midian Torrey and Mary A. (Griffin) Torrey, were both of good old New England stock, her mother a native of Ellsworth, Me., and her father of Deer Isle, Me. Mr. Torrey was one of the "forty-niners," or gold hunters who went in that year to seek their fortune in California. Mrs. Torrey remained in Sacramento while her husband was at the mines. When but twelve years of age Mrs. Kotzschmar lost both her parents. Soon after, her uncle, who was her guardian, brought her to Portland, Me., to be educated. She was placed in a private school kept by Miss Prince, and at the same time she began with Mr. Kotzschmar her musical studies, which she continued under his instruction until the time of her marriage. Since that event their combined professional career has been very successful, and they now rank among well-known New England musicians. Mrs. Kotzschmar was among the first to attend the clavier school in New York, and study the method which has since become so generally used. Recognizing the possibilities of this method, she was one of the first to introduce it in Maine, and has employed it in all of her teaching for the last ten years with much success.
In 1896, accompanied by her daughter, she travelled extensively in Europe, and again in 1900 she spent several months abroad, on both occasions studying under leading instrumental teachers in Berlin. In addition to her success as a teacher of piano, she has gained a reputation as a writer and lecturer. She is also possessed of considerable executive ability. Her first public work to be noted was in the season of 1894, when she gave a series of talks in Kotzschmar Hall on the growth of music. These talks were first arranged for her pupils. The first one was called "An Outline of the Growth of Music," and was followed by sketches of the music of Italy, France, and Germany, illustrated with songs. These have since been repeated before leading musical associations throughout the State. When the first Maine Musical Festival was given in Portland, in 1897, Mrs. Kotzschmar was honored with an invitation to give her paper on the Growth of Music. In 1895 she brought out, in Kotzschmar Hall, that beautiful song-cycle, "In a Persian Garden," by Liza Lehmann. Mr. Van Yorx, a tenor from New York, and Miss Katherine Ricker, contralto, of Boston, were engaged for the occasion, the other parts being sung by Portland soloists. This was the first time that the poem was presented in this country except in New York City, and the first of its being given with stagings to represent a garden. This proved a most effective feature, and did much toward making the poem realistic.
While abroad, Mrs. Kotzschmar wrote letters of travel for the Portland Press and for the Kennebec Journal, in all about fifty. Her clear manner and originality of style gained her notice in literary circles. She has also written, with success, for the Ladies' Home Journal, and is a contributor to the musical paper, L’Étude. She wrote a little book on the clavier and its method, which was purchased by the Clavier Company, and is used in their advertisements. She was a pioneer in Maine in introducing class work for beginners, and formed classes of eight to ten children, ranging from five to twelve years of age, to whom she taught the rudiments of music, sight reading, etc., giving them a basis on which to work when beginning private lessons. The success of this enterprise is shown by the numerous classes she now has. Mrs. Kotzschmar is devoted to her art, and is always busy planning something new to keep the musical people in her vicinity alert and in touch with the doings of the musical world.