Walter Hartley
Encyclopedia
Walter Sinclair Hartley is an American
composer
of contemporary (classical) music.
, began composing at age five and became seriously dedicated to it at sixteen. All his college degrees are from the Eastman School of Music
of the University of Rochester
. He received his Ph.D. in composition there in 1953. Some of his teachers were Burrill Phillips
, Thomas Canning, Herbert Elwell
, Bernard Rogers
, Howard Hanson
and Dante Fiorillo.
He and the former Sandra Mount have been married since June 17, 1960; they have two daughters and five grandchildren.
in Fredonia, New York
. He also taught piano, theory and composition at the National Music Camp (now Interlochen Arts Camp) in Interlochen, Michigan
from 1956 to 1964. He is currently composer-in-residence at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
His music has been performed by many ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma City Symphony, Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and the Eastman Wind Ensemble
. His Chamber Symphony of 1954 was commissioned by the Koussevitsky Foundation; his Concert Overture for orchestra received a prize from the National Symphony Orchestra in 1955; and his Sinfonia No. 3 for brass choir won for him the 1964 Conn Award. Since then he has received many commissions from college and high school musical organizations. A lately published orchestral work, Symphony No. 3, was commissioned by the Greater Buffalo (New York) Youth Orchestra; several band works were commissioned by U.S. service bands. There have been many recordings.
He wrote Concerto for 23 Winds at the age of thirty in 1957.
Hartley is also one of the most prolific composers of music for the saxophone.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of contemporary (classical) music.
Biography and education
He was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, began composing at age five and became seriously dedicated to it at sixteen. All his college degrees are from the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
of the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
. He received his Ph.D. in composition there in 1953. Some of his teachers were Burrill Phillips
Burrill Phillips
Burrill Phillips was an American composer, teacher, and pianist.-Biography:Phillips studied at the Denver College of Music with Edwin Stringham and at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, with Howard Hanson and Bernard Rogers.In 1929 he married Alberta Phillips ; they had a daughter, Ann...
, Thomas Canning, Herbert Elwell
Herbert Elwell
Herbert Elwell was an American composer and music critic. A native of Minneapolis, he was among the first Americans to study in France with Nadia Boulanger. While in Paris his Quintet for Piano and Strings garnered more praise than George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, which was premiered at the...
, Bernard Rogers
Bernard Rogers
Bernard Rogers was an American composer.Rogers was born in New York City. He studied with Arthur Farwell, Ernest Bloch, Percy Goetschius, and Nadia Boulanger. He taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Hartt School, and the Eastman School of Music...
, Howard Hanson
Howard Hanson
Howard Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...
and Dante Fiorillo.
He and the former Sandra Mount have been married since June 17, 1960; they have two daughters and five grandchildren.
Appointments
He is Professor Emeritus of Music at the State University of New York at FredoniaState University of New York at Fredonia
The State University of New York at Fredonia is a four-year liberal arts college located in Fredonia, New York, United States; it is a constituent college of the State University of New York...
in Fredonia, New York
Fredonia, New York
Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
. He also taught piano, theory and composition at the National Music Camp (now Interlochen Arts Camp) in Interlochen, Michigan
Interlochen, Michigan
Interlochen is a town in Northwest Lower Michigan. The town is noted for the internationally renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts.-History:...
from 1956 to 1964. He is currently composer-in-residence at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte located in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Musical works
His list of compositions and arrangements is now over 300, dating from 1949 on, and most of these are published. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), from which he has received an annual award for achievement in serious music since 1962.His music has been performed by many ensembles, including the National Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma City Symphony, Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and the Eastman Wind Ensemble
Eastman Wind Ensemble
The Eastman Wind Ensemble is an American concert band founded by Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music in 1952. It is often credited with helping popularize wind music. Through the group, Fennell redefined wind ensemble to refer to a specific kind of wind band with only one player per...
. His Chamber Symphony of 1954 was commissioned by the Koussevitsky Foundation; his Concert Overture for orchestra received a prize from the National Symphony Orchestra in 1955; and his Sinfonia No. 3 for brass choir won for him the 1964 Conn Award. Since then he has received many commissions from college and high school musical organizations. A lately published orchestral work, Symphony No. 3, was commissioned by the Greater Buffalo (New York) Youth Orchestra; several band works were commissioned by U.S. service bands. There have been many recordings.
He wrote Concerto for 23 Winds at the age of thirty in 1957.
Hartley is also one of the most prolific composers of music for the saxophone.
External links
- Walter Hartley's web site contains a complete chronological list of his works.
- Walter Hartley page at Tritone Press & Tenuto Publications site