Mary Sue Sklarevski papers
Scope and Contents
The Mary Sue Sklarevski papers, bulk 1960-1984, contain music manuscripts of Sklarevski's compositions and several letters, photos, and newspaper clippings relating to her career in music and music education. A 45-rpm record of her song "Into the House" and a selection of her poems are also included.
Dates
- Creation: 1960-1984
Creator
- Sklarevski, Mary Sue (Person)
Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright. All requests for permission to publish or perform materials in this collection must be submitted in writing to the archivist of the Arthur Friedheim Library.
Biographical / Historical
Mary Sue Fielding Sklarevski (1917-2007) was a musician, composer, and poet in the Baltimore area. In 1938 she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Johns Hopkins University. In the 1960s she studied music education and composition at the Peabody Institute. Sklarevski remained an active donor and member of the Peabody and John Hopkins community, participating as a lifetime member of the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Her father-in-law, Alexander Sklarevski, was head of the piano department at the Peabody Institute.
In her career, Sklarevski played violin for the Gettysburg Symphony and taught music at a handful of Baltimore-area schools including Towsontown Junior High School and Cockeysville Junior High School. Some of Sklarevski's musical works were performed by community groups such as the Allegany Community College Singers or by Sklarevski's own students. One particular song, "At the Inn," was picked up by Voice of America radio and broadcast around the world. As a member of the International Society of Poets, Sklarevski published several poems in a national anthology of poetry.
In 1965, Sklarevski worked with visual artist Joy Turner Mele to represent the Bach inventions using color charts and a quarter-tone scale they devised. Some of Sklarevski's compositions, including her two string quartets, employ quarter-tones.
Extent
0.47 Cubic Feet (1 legal size box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Mary Sue Sklarevski papers consists of material relating to Sklarevski's career as a musician, composer, and poet. The majority of the collection consists of manuscript scores. Various personal papers, photographs, and published poetry are also included.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mary Sue Sklarevski in 1991.
Processing Information
Processed by Grace Ming-hsuan Tsai in 2016.
- Title
- Guide to the Mary Sue Sklarevski papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kerri Sheehan
- Date
- 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Revision Statements
- 2024-03-25: Biographical note revised for specificity and to remove aggrandizing language. Scope and contents note revised for clarity.
Repository Details
Part of the Peabody Archives Repository
Peabody Institute
1 E. Mount Vernon Place
Baltimore MD 21202 USA
peabodyarchives@lists.jhu.edu