Theodore Presser Theodore Presser was born July 3, 1848, in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to German emigrant Christian Presser and Caroline Dietz. As a teenager, he worked in an iron foundry helping to mold cannon balls for the army during the
Civil War. This activity proved too strenuous for his young physique and in 1864, at 16, he began selling tickets for the Strokosch Opera Company in Pittsburgh. At the same time, he began working as a clerk at C.C. Mellor's music store in Pittsburgh. Other subsidiaries include Editions Orphée, Elkan-Vogel, Falls House Press, and Merion Music. In addition to its own catalog, Presser represents the music of more than 70 U.S. and foreign publishers, including
Universal Edition,
Peermusic Classical,
Éditions Alphonse Leduc, and
Bärenreiter.
Presser Foundation The publishing company that Presser founded was so successful that in 1906, Presser was able to express his appreciation to those who made this success possible by establishing the Presser Home for Retired Music Teachers located on West Johnson Street in the
Mount Airy section of Philadelphia. His
philanthropic zeal is continued to this day through his foresight in forming the Presser Foundation in 1916, nine years before his death. Each year, the Presser Foundation awards scholarships, grants, and funds specifically to further the cause of music and music education in America. ==Composers published by Theodore Presser==