John Evarts
Closeup of Heinrich Jalowetz and John Evarts on the porch of Lee Hall. Courtesy of Western Regional Archives.
Courtesy of Western Regional Archives
FOCUS
Music
ROLE
Faculty
ATTENDANCE
1933 - 1942
BIRTH
1908-09-16
DEATH
1989-07-28
John Evarts, composer and pianist, was a founding member of the faculty in the fall of 1933. Following musical training at Yale, Evarts studied in Munich and Berlin.
He taught at Black Mountain College from 1933 until he joined the army in 1942. He was gifted at improvisation and, before arriving at Black Mountain College, had often accompanied silent movies. At the college he played for skits and performances.
After the war Evarts stayed in Germany to assist with reconstruction. He was employed by the State Department as a cultural administrator, helping to restore Germany’s cultural infrastructure, particularly as it related to concerts, music festivals and orchestras.
After 1951, Evarts lived in France and Germany working for UNESCO. From 1959-1974 he was editor of The World of Music, a bulletin of the International Music Council (UNESCO) in association with the International Institute for Comparative Music Studies and Documentation (Berlin). Shortly before his death, he was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross from the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his work during the occupation.
Biography written by Mary Emma Harris for the Black Mountain College Project.
