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Bernard Herrmann was born 29 June 1911 in New York, son of Russian immigrants Abraham and Ida Herrmann (Gorenstein).
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1911
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1913
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His brother Louis is born on April 14.
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His sister Rose is born on October 15.
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1914
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1924
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At age 13 Herrmann discovers Hector Berlioz' Treatise on Orchestration, the book that later convinced him to become a composer.
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Herrmann begins his studies at DeWitt Clinton High School. Here he becomes good friends with another future composer, Jerome Moross.
One of his first pieces was a setting of Paul Verlaine's poem The Bells for which he won a money prize of $100. This same year Herrmann befriends George Gershwin.
Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System (CBS) makes its premiere broadcast.
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1927
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1929
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While still studying at DeWitt, Herrmann enrolls in New York University's fine arts school, studying composition with Philip James and Albert Stoessel.
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When Albert Stoessel leaves NYU for the Juilliard School's new opera and orchestra department, Herrmann joins him and starts his studies there as a fellowship student, studying composition under Bernard Wagenaar. Moross joins him the following year.
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1930
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1931
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Together with Aaron Copland, Herrmann and Moross forms the Young Composers Group.
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Herrmann and Moross ends their studies at Juilliard. Herrmann briefly returns to NYU for lectures in advanced composition and orchestration held by Percy Grainger.
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1932
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1933
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Herrmann's father, Abraham, dies on May 8.
Herrmann and Hans Spialek forms the New Chamber Orchestra which first concert includes Herrmann's Prelude to "Anathema", Moross' Ballet, and the Fugue from Charles Ives' Fourth Symphony. Herrmann conducting.
After the concert Herrmann meets and starts his frienship with Chrales Ives.
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Herrmann is hired by CBS as an assistant to composer/conductor Johnny Green on In the Modern Manner, a program featuring contemporary music accompanied by poetry readings.
In May Herrmann composes La Belle Dame Sans Merci for the show and from then on replaces Green as composer.
Shortly after the broadcast Herrmann meets Lucille Fletcher.
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1934
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1935
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Herrmann composes his Currier and Ives Suite and Sinfonietta for Strings.
This year he also becomes a staff conductor at CBS, and has for the next 15 years near-unlimited freedom in musical programming.
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Composes the Moby Dick Cantata with libretto by Clark Harrington.
Herrmann begins work on the Columbia Workshop where he meets Orson Welles. Also working on the show, as a writer, is Lucille Fletcher.
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1937
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1938
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Herrmann is appointed composer/conductor of the new CBS drama series Mercury Theatre on the Air.
The War of the Worlds happened.
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Herrmann marries Lucille Fletcher on October 2.
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1939
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1940
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Herrmann scores his first motion picture, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941).
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