Gershwin Publishing

Gershwin Publishing
Name	Gershwin Publishing
Founded	1930s
Founders	George Gershwin; Ira Gershwin
Country	United States
Headquarters	New York City
Genre	Popular music, Broadway, film
Notable works	"Rhapsody in Blue"; "I Got Rhythm"; "Porgy and Bess"

Gershwin Publishing

Gershwin Publishing was an American music publishing concern associated with the works of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin that managed copyrights, licensing, and sheet music distribution for stage, film, and concert repertoire; it interacted with major entities such as Broadway, Hollywood, Tin Pan Alley, ASCAP, and BMI and engaged with institutions like the Library of Congress, New York Philharmonic, Columbia Records, RCA Victor, and Warner Bros..

History

The company emerged during the era of Tin Pan Alley and the Harlem Renaissance alongside contemporaries like Irving Berlin Music Publishing Company, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, George M. Cohan, Victor Herbert, and Richard Rodgers; it participated in the commercial expansion of American popular song during the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the World War II period. Gershwin Publishing negotiated stage rights for productions on Broadway and touring circuits that involved houses such as the Shubert Organization, Richard Rodgers Theatre, Winter Garden Theatre, Theatre Guild, and the Alvin Theatre; wartime licensing intersected with agencies like the Office of War Information and unions including the American Federation of Musicians. Throughout the mid-20th century and into the late 20th century, the catalog was administered during corporate consolidations resembling deals with firms such as MCA, PolyGram, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Publishing, and Warner Chappell Music as mass media platforms like radio broadcasting networks and television networks such as NBC, CBS, and ABC expanded performance rights.

Founders and Key Personnel

Founding figures included composer George Gershwin and lyricist Ira Gershwin, who collaborated with performers and arrangers like Ethel Merman, Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Whiteman, Ivy League orchestras, and conductors such as Leopold Stokowski and Arturo Toscanini when negotiating performance agreements. Administrative and editorial staff over time worked with executives from publishing houses including Chappell & Co., Boosey & Hawkes, Chester Music, and managers allied with agents like William Morris Agency, CAA, and promoters such as Sol Hurok; legal counsel references often involved attorneys versed in precedents like Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc. and corporate counsel from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Later custodians and trustees who oversaw estate management coordinated with scholarship authorities such as Richard Crawford, Howard Pollack, and performers associated with Gershwin Prize committees.

Catalogue and Notable Publications

The catalog encompassed songs and scores including compositions like "Rhapsody in Blue", "An American in Paris", "I Got Rhythm", and the opera "Porgy and Bess", which connected to productions at Metropolitan Opera, film adaptations by MGM, and recordings by labels like Decca Records and Columbia Records. Published sheet music and parts circulated among ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and jazz artists including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk who recorded or arranged Gershwin works. The catalog’s songs were licensed for films starring performers like Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Jimmie Durante, and productions directed by filmmakers such as Orson Welles and Vincente Minnelli as well as for revues featuring choreographers like George Balanchine and Agnes de Mille.

Business Operations and Ownership

Gershwin Publishing operated as a rights holder engaging in mechanical licensing, performance licensing, synchronization deals, and print licensing with organizations including ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Harry Fox Agency, and international collective management societies like PRS for Music and SACEM. Ownership and administration passed through estate arrangements and corporate transactions comparable to those involving MCA, EMI, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing; trustees coordinated with the Library of Congress for deposit copies and with universities such as Yale University, Columbia University, Juilliard School, and New England Conservatory for archival access. Distribution channels included partnerships with distributors like G. Schirmer, Inc., Boosey & Hawkes, retail chains such as Barnes & Noble, and catalog management for digital services including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

Legal Issues and Copyrights

The estate and publishing entity engaged in copyright registrations and litigation invoking statutes like the Copyright Act of 1909 and the Copyright Act of 1976, and cases intersecting with precedents such as Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co., and other music-rights jurisprudence; disputes sometimes involved publishers like Chappell & Co., Irving Berlin, Inc., and Harms, Inc.. Issues concerned derivative works, moral rights claims in international forums like the European Court of Justice, termination rights under statutory provisions, and clearance negotiations for sampling disputes involving artists and labels such as Island Records, Atlantic Records, and Def Jam Recordings. Copyright term extensions and public domain determinations connected to legislative developments advocated by figures like Lester Lanin and institutions including Publishers Association and prompted deposit relationships with the Library of Congress and archival transfers to repositories such as the Smithsonian Institution.

Influence and Legacy

Gershwin Publishing’s stewardship of works influenced Broadway revivals, concert programming, jazz standards, and music education curricula at conservatories including Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music; its repertoire has been interpreted by artists from Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. The catalog’s presence shaped cultural institutions such as the Kennedy Center, the New York City Ballet, and festivals like Gershwin Festival-style programming, and contributed to honors including the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and tributes at venues like Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall. Archives of the publishing house underpin scholarship by musicologists and historians focusing on American music alongside studies of composers such as Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Bernstein, Kurt Weill, and Victor Herbert, ensuring ongoing performance, recording, and licensing activity across international markets in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Category:Music publishing companies