Edwin Goldman

Edwin Franko Goldman was an American conductor and composer born on January 1, 1878, in Louisville. He became one of the central figures in the development of the American wind band in the twentieth century, shaping both its artistic direction and its public image. His early musical education included studies with the renowned cornetist Jules Levy, followed by enrollment at the National Conservatory of Music of America during the period when it was led by Antonín Dvořák. He also studied under his uncle, the conductor Nahan Franko.

From 1900 to 1909, Goldman served as a cornetist in the orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, gaining professional experience in a major musical institution. In 1911 he founded and conducted the New York Military Band, which in 1918 was reorganized as the Goldman Band. Goldman remained its director until his death, dedicating his career to elevating the wind band into a serious artistic ensemble capable of refined, expressive performance and meaningful repertory expansion.

Goldman commissioned numerous works for wind band, collaborating with leading American composers and later musicians from abroad. Among those who contributed pieces were Percy Grainger, Gustav Holst, Ottorino Respighi, and Albert Roussel. His own arrangements for wind band included significant orchestral compositions, such as his well-regarded setting of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” which Leonard Bernstein praised as masterful. At the same time, the Goldman Band became a beloved cultural institution, drawing enormous audiences; one 1923 concert in Central Park attracted around 30,000 listeners.

As a composer, Goldman was best known for his light and predominantly march-oriented works. His most enduring pieces include the marches “On the Mall” (1924) and “Chimes of Liberty” (1937), both of which became staples of American band literature. His leadership extended beyond performance and composition: in 1930 he was elected the first president of the American Bandmasters Association, affirming his major influence within the professional community.

Goldman’s legacy continued through his son, Richard Franko Goldman, who studied under him and succeeded him as director of the Goldman Band after his death on February 21, 1956, in New York. Together, their contributions helped define the identity and artistic potential of the American wind band in the twentieth century.

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