Thomas Z. Shepard Papers

Collection

Call Number: MSS 112

Scope and Contents

The collection contains a wide variety of material relating to Shepard's work at Columbia and RCA Victor from approximately 1960-1990, along with some personal materials dating from the early 2000s. The largest part of the collection comprises production materials, such as text, music, and correspondence related to specific projects, and photographs taken during recording sessions. Given Shepard's dedication to musical theater, the lion's share of the project files relate to musical theater productions, though some classical projects are represented. Beyond production materials, the collection also contains personal and business correspondence and publicity materials collected by Shepard such as clippings, programs, and record magazines. The collection contains a small number of sound recordings (test pressings, CDs, and tapes).

Dates

1960 - 2014

Creator

Shepard, Thomas Z. (Thomas Zachary), 1936-

Language of Materials

In English.

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright status for collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Thomas Z. Shepard

Arrangement

The collection is organized into eight series. Series I: Scores; Series II: Project Files, c. 1967-1995; Series III: Photographs and Slides, c. 1968-2008; Series IV: Awards, 1968-2005; Series V: Correspondence, c. 1967-2000; Series VI: Clippings, programs and publicity materials, c. 1960-1994; Series VII: Sound recordings and test pressings, 1961 - 2014; and Series VIII: Diaries, documents and miscellaneous notes, c. 1962-2002.

Extent

12 Linear Feet (26 containers)

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/music.mss.0112

Additional Description

Abstract

Thomas Z. Shepard is a 12-time Grammy Award winner, producing both Classical and Broadway projects. The collection contains a wide variety of material relating to Shepard's work at Columbia and RCA Victor from approximately 1960-1990, along with some personal materials dating from the early 2000s. The largest part of the collection comprises production materials, such as text, music, and correspondence related to specific projects, and photographs taken during recording sessions.

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Z. Shepard was born in 1936, in Orange, New Jersey. He studied music at Juilliard, Oberlin College, and Yale University. In 1960, Shepard began his tenure at Columbia Records, where he spent fourteen years working under Goddard Lieberson. He later worked as co-director of CBS Masterworks, before moving to RCA in 1974. He held an executive position as Division Vice President of RCA Red Seal until 1986, and then worked in MCA's division for Broadway and Classical music until 1989. Since 1989, Shepard has worked as an independent producer, arranger, expert legal witness, and as a lecturer on both musical theater and classical music.

Shepard is a 12-time Grammy Award winner, and has produced a wide variety of Classical and Broadway projects. He produced a number of Stephen Sondheim musicals as well as original cast recordings of 1776, La Cage aux Folles, 42nd Street, Ain't Misbehavin' and Raisin. Shepard produced hundreds of classical recordings and worked with a wide range of twentieth century composers including Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Horowitz, Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, and many others.