Ernst Toch

Austrian composer Ernst Toch (1887-1964) won a teaching position at the Mannheim Musikhochschule in 1913, despite being self-taught in music. Toch left for Berlin in 1929, but a successful run as composer -- fueled by the popularity of his Der Fuge aus Geographie (1930) -- was cut short by the rise of Nazi Germany. Resettling in Hollywood, Toch became a highly regarded film composer -- nominated for two Oscars -- and teacher. Toch won the Pulitzer Prize in 1956 for his Symphony No. 3; although he remains little known, Toch's work is one of the best kept secrets in twentieth-century music.