Arthur Foote was born on March 5, 1853 in Salem, Massachusetts, and died on April 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Foote was a member of the Second New England School, a group of Boston-based composers who were pivotal in developing a uniquely American sound in classical music. The other five generally accepted members of this collective were John Knowles Paine, George Chadwick, Edward MacDowell, Horatio Parker and most notably, Amy Beach. The “Boston Six” were greatly influenced by the German Romantic tradition, and most studied directly with German musicians; Foote was a staunch advocate of the music of Brahms and Wagner. Foote was also one of the first noted American composers to study entirely in the United States, receiving his education from Harvard University.

The majority of Foote’s oeuvre consists of chamber music, and many of his works are considered hidden gems. His output for cello consists of a sonata (op. 78), a concerto (op. 33) and several short character pieces. The Three Pieces for cello and piano are his earliest published work and show strong Brahmsian influence.