Charles Tomlinson Griffes 1884 – 1920

Biography

Charles Tomlinson Griffes was born on September 17, 1884, in Elmira, New York. He devoted his life to music as a composer, developing a distinctive artistic voice during a formative period in American classical music. Though his years were few, Griffes made meaningful contributions to the musical landscape of his time, leaving behind a legacy that would endure beyond his lifetime.

Griffes’s career was cut tragically short when he died on April 8, 1920, in New York City from influenza. He was only thirty-five years old. His passing represented a significant loss to the American musical community, as he was still in what might have been the most productive years of his artistic development.

He was laid to rest at Bloomfield Cemetery, where he remains honored. Though his time on earth was brief, Charles Tomlinson Griffes is remembered as a talented and dedicated composer whose works continue to be studied and performed by musicians and audiences alike.