Alice Theresa Hildagard Swanson Esty (November 8, 1904 – July 21, 2000) was an American actress, soprano and arts patron who commissioned works by members of Les Six and other French composers, and American composers such as Ned Rorem, Virgil Thomson and Marc Blitzstein, among others.
She earned an A.B. degree from Bates College in 1925. She then moved to New York City to study singing and acting. She was hired as an actress with the Group Theater, which was directed by Lee Strasberg and Harold Clurman, and with the Provincetown Players, an avant-garde theater. Her Broadway credits include Come of Age, with Judith Anderson, and L'Aiglon, with Ethel Barrymore.
She married William C. Esty, founder of the William Esty Advertising Agency in the 1930s.
Esty continued her interest in the arts, and she began to commission works by many noted composers, poets, and visual artists. In the late 1950s and early 1960s she spent considerable time in Paris, where she befriended many important composers and artists. Between 1955 and 1969 she regularly commissioned musical compositions, and then performed them in major recital halls, including The Town Hall and Carnegie Recital Hall. If Mrs. Esty's talent as a singer was not perhaps perfect (Ned Rorem referred to her as "a soprano of style and means if not especially of temperament..."), her importance as an arts patron is certainly notable.
Esty lived in Paris frequently in the 1950s and the 1960s and between 1955-1969 she commissioned musical compositions from many French composers including Germaine Tailleferre, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Henri Sauguet and others which she performed in her Town Hall and Carnegie Recital Hall concerts. In addition, she also commissioned Poulenc's Sonata for Two Pianos for the American piano duo Gold and Fizdale. In 1964, she commissioned works by French and American composers for a special memorial concert for the recently deceased Francis Poulenc, which she performed in Carnegie Recital Hall.
In 1994 and 1995, Mrs. Esty donated the manuscripts for many of her commissioned works to the Library of Bates College where they are located today. Esty died of cancer in New York. The Esty Professorship of Music at Bates was endowed by her.
Arrieu, Claude, 1903-Le Sable du Sablier: Melodies pour chant et pianoText: Louise de VilmorinComposed: UndatedBerkeley, Lennox, Sir, 1903-AutomneText: Guillaume ApollinaireComposed: August 1963Soprano and pianoBerkeley, Lennox, Sir, 1903-Five Poems by W. H. AudenText: W. H. AudenComposed: 1958Soprano and pianoBowles, Paul, 1910-Roman SuiteText: Tennessee WilliamsComposed: 1960Soprano and pianoBucht, Gunnar, 1927-Sex ArstidssangerText: Gunnar BjorlingComposed: 1965Mezzo-soprano and pianoDelannoy, MarcelLa Voix du SilenceText: Maurice CarêmeComposed: 1958Soprano and pianoDutilleux, Henri, 1916-San Francisco NightText: Paul GibsonComposed: 1963Soprano and pianopublished by Éditions Alphonse Leduc, ParisGoehr, Alexander, 1932-Warngedichte, op. 22Text: Erich FriedComposed: 1966-1967Soprano and pianoJones, Charles, 1910-AnimaText: William LanglandComposed: 1967-1968Soprano, viola, and pianoMartin, Frank, 1890–1974DedicaceText: Robert du la HayeComposed: 1945Soprano and pianoMilhaud, Darius, 1892–1974L'Amour ChanteText: Joachim du Bellay, Marie de France, Alfred de Musset, Louise Labe, Arthur Rimbaud, Pierre de Ronsard, Maurice Sceve, and Paul VerlaineComposed: 1964Soprano and pianoMilhaud, Darius, 1892–1974Preparatif a la Mort en Allegorique MaritimeText: grippa d'AubigneComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoPinkham, DanielThe Song of Jeptha's DaughterText: Robert HillyerComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoPorter, Quincy, 1897–1966Seven Songs of LoveText: Robert GravesComposed: UndatedSoprano and pianoPoulenc, Francis, 1899–1963Le Travail du PeintreText: Paul ÉluardComposed: UndatedSoprano and pianoRieti, Vittorio, 1898-Plus ne SuisText: Clément MarotComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoRorem, Ned 1923-PoulencText: Frank O'HaraComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoRorem, Ned 1923-A JourneyText: Andrew GlazeComposed: 1976Soprano and pianoRosenthal, ManuelLe Jour d'un MortText: Paul GibsonComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoSauguet, HenriCelui Qui DortText: Paul ÉluardComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoSauget, HenriLes Images (from Vie de Campagnes)Text: [no information available]Composed: UndatedSoprano and pianoSauguet, HenriVie des CampagnesText: Jean FollainComposed: 1961Soprano and pianoTailleferre, Germaine, 1892–1983L'Adieu du CavalierText: Guillaume ApollinaireComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoPublished by Musik Fabrik, FranceTailleferre, Germaine, 1892–1983Pancarte pour une Porte D'EntreeText: Robert PingetComposed: 1959Soprano and pianoPublished by Musik Fabrik, FranceThomson, Virgil, 1896-Songs for Alice EstyText: Kenneth KochComposed: 1959Soprano and pianoThomson, Virgil, 1896-Two by Marianne MooreText: Marianne MooreComposed: 1963Soprano and pianoWeber, Ben, 1916-A Bird Came Down the Walk, op. 57Text: Emily DickinsonComposed: 1963Soprano and piano