Born: December 5, 1893 (Bergen, Norway)

Died: August 10, 1980 (Seattle, Washington)

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August Werner, baritone, was a professor of music, chorus director and a painter of Norwegian landscapes, scenes of Norway's history, and a sculptor.

He received a B.S. from the College of Agriculture in Stend, Norway, 1913, as well as in 1924, completing studies at the Master School of Music in Brooklyn under Mme. Melanie Guttman-Rice.

He was a winner in the 1928 Walter W. Naumburg Competition.

From 1935-1965, Werner was a professor at the School of Music at the University of Washington. He directed the Norwegian Male Chorus and the Ladies' Chorus in Seattle, as well as the Changers of the Nile Temple Shrine.

Werner performed as a baritone in the U.S. and Europe and sang with symphony orchestras, in churches and choirs.

His sculptors included a bust of Beethoven at the University of Washington, and a cast bronze statue of Leif Eriksson, unveiled in 1962, which overlooks Shilshole Bay in Ballard.

For his contributions to Scandinavian music and culture, Werner was decorated by King Olav V of Norway and King Gustav VI of Sweden and received an Honorary Distinguished Citizen Award from Washington Lieutenant Governor John A. Cherberg in 1979.

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Excerpt from The New York Times review, March 7, 1929.

August Werner's Recital

Baritone Who Won Naumburg Prize Gives Artistic Performance

"appeared at Town Hall last night with substantial success..in his own right, he proved an artist of manly presence and ringing voice...he showed dignity and self-possession beyond most debutants."

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