Donald Erb was an American composer best known for large orchestral works such as Concerto for Brass and Orchestra and Ritual Observances.

Early years

Erb was born in Youngstown, Ohio, graduated from Lakewood High School, a Cleveland suburb, and gained early recognition as a trumpet player for a local dance band. Following a stint in the Navy during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, he continued his career as a jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 trumpeter and enrolled at Kent State University

Kent State University

Kent State University is a public research university located in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university has eight campuses around the northeast Ohio region with the main campus in Kent being the largest...

, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music in 1950. Three years later, he earned a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music

Cleveland Institute of Music

The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....

. In 1964, Erb earned a Doctorate in Music from Indiana University, where he studied with Bernard Heiden.

Honors and awards

In the course of his career, Erb earned considerable recognition. He received the Prix de Rome

Prix de Rome

The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...

 and was composer-in-residence with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He was Distinguished Professor of Composition, Emeritus, at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

. He has received grants and fellowships from the Rockefeller

Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...

, Guggenheim

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...

, Ford

Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....

, Fromm, and Koussevitzky foundations.

Erb's notable students include James Aikman, Margaret Brouwer

Margaret Brouwer

Margaret Brouwer Margaret Brouwer Margaret Brouwer (b. Ann Arbor, Michigan, is an American composer.Brouwer studied at Oberlin College, graduating in 1962, and received her master's degree from Michigan State University. Having started her musical career as a professional violinist with the Fort...

, Nickitas J. Demos

Nickitas J. Demos

Nickitas J. Demos is a Greek American composer. He is known for his inventive inclusion of Greek elements and influence in his music.-Education:...

, David Dzubay, Ken Durling, Tim Geller, Joseph Hallman, John S. Hilliard

John S. Hilliard

John Stanley Hilliard is an American composer.Born into a family of musical amateurs, John Hilliard began his musical training by studying piano at the age of 6 from his cousin, a local piano teacher...

, Christopher Kaufman, Tom Knab, John Krol, John Mackey

John Mackey (composer)

John Mackey is an American composer of classical music, with an emphasis on music for wind band, as well as orchestra. For several years, he focused on music for modern dance and ballet.-Background:...

, Frank Wiley, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate is a Chickasaw classical composer and pianist. He is one of a handful of American Indian classical composers, and his compositions are based on American Indian history and culture....

.

He died at his home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on August 12, 2008, at the age of 81.

Selected Works

• 1966 Concerto for Solo Percussionist
• 1964 Symphony of Overtures
• 1965 Phantasma for four musicians
• 1966 Diversion For Two (other than sex) for trumpet and percussion
• 1966 String Trio for 2 violins and electric guitar
• 1967 Reconnaissance for instruments and electronic sounds
• 1968 In No Strange Land for instruments and electronic sounds
• 1969 The Seventh Trumpet for orchestra
• 1986 Concerto for Brass and Orchestra
• 1994 Changes
• 1994 Remembrances
• 1994 Sonata for Solo Violin
• 1995 Sunlit Peaks and Dark Valleys
• 1995 Sonata for Solo Harp

External links

• Donald Erb's composer page at Presser
• Obituary from New York Times, August 15, 2008
• Obituary from Plain Dealer, August 12, 2008
• Donald Erb bio as listed by the Cleveland Composers Guild

Listening

• Art of the States: Donald Erb