San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Greven, Joseph 
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Ila Wakley iwakley@msn.com August 15, 2010, 10:33 pm

Source: California and Californians, Vol. IV, Published 1932, Pages 73 - 74
Author: The Lewis Publishing Company

     JOSEPH GREVEN has been a loved and respected figure in the musical life 
of San Francisco for a great many years. He has long had an international 
reputation as a voice specialist. In earlier years he appeared as a leading 
tenor in light and grand opera, and his personal triumphs as an artist have 
been a valuable background for his teaching.

     He was born and educated in Cologne, Germany, and since the age of eight 
his career has been devoted principally to music. At the age of eight he 
learned the piano with the idea in future to become a piano virtuoso. At the 
age of seventeen and largely to please his father, he voluntarily entered the 
army and served his time in training for the rank of officer.

     It was at the age of eighteen that it was discovered he was the possessor 
of a fine tenor voice, so instead of remaining in the army he went to Vienna 
for his musical studies. To quote his own account of his early experiences as 
a student: "The celebrated old Frederich Schmitt of Vienna, author of the 
largest 'Vocal School,' a method combining the best teachings of the old 
Italian, of the French and of the German schools, was my principal teacher and 
guide, who led me to early success as leading tenor in European opera 
companies. During my activity as singer I never ceased trying to perfect 
myself, and so I have to thank other accomplishments to two more high ranking 
teachers. They were Schultz Dornburg, Cologne, Weinlich-Tipka, pupil of the 
elder Lamperti, Milano."

     He had been received with acclaim in numerous appearances, but his 
ambition to reach the very heights caused him to seek the services of a great 
Vienna throat specialist in removing a small superfluous growth on one of the 
vocal cords. The operation was unsuccessful and for months he was unable to 
utter a word. It was through his own persevering efforts that he succeeded in 
restoring his voice, and after about two years he sang again one of the 
heaviest tenor parts, the title role in Tannhauser.

     Mr. Greven came to America in December, 1892, and toured the East as a 
leading operatic tenor. He arrived at San Francisco January 1, 1894, and his 
last appearance was in the old Baldwin Opera House there as Max in 
Freischuetz. Then, in 1894 he opened his studio, and his success as a voice 
builder in San Francisco drew to him the attention of a European impresario, 
who engaged him as a vocal director of the Coburg Opera School as professor of 
the vocal department and leading director of the institution and for several 
years he was director of Berlin Master Classes. Before and during the war he 
succeeded in placing his young artists in prominent positions and engagements 
as concert and operatic singers in Germany and Austria. Since returning to San 
Francisco he has resumed his studio and continued his work in developing many 
promising European and American singers. His studio is now in his beautiful 
home at 927 Lake Street. In addition to the individual work which he has done 
in training the voice, Mr. Greven has made a valuable contribution to the 
science and art of developing the human voice in singing as well as speaking 
to the highest standard, through publishing his little book entitled The 
Mechanism of the Voice and Guide for Singers and Speakers, in which he 
condensed the good old and new rules and his own experience for the benefit of 
those who must use their speaking and singing voice as a vital part of their 
careers.  Many encomiums by eminent musicians and teachers have been 
pronounced upon this book, which has gone through several editions in America 
and has also been published in a German translation.	
			
     Professor Greven married Miss Minnie Morgan, a member of a distinguished 
pioneer family of prominent lawyers and state officials.

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