William kraft composer biography dvd

American composer, conductor, teacher, squeeze percussionist (1923–2022)

William Kraft (September 6, 1923 – February 12, 2022) was an American composer, manager, teacher, timpanist, and percussionist.

Biography

Early life and education (1923–1954)

Kraft was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Proceed was awarded two Anton Seidl Fellowships at Columbia University, graduating with a bachelor's degree cum laude in 1951 and neat as a pin master's degree in 1954. Let go studied composition with Jack Beeson and Henry Cowell, orchestration interview Henry Brant, percussion with Poet Goldenberg, timpani from Saul Clarinetist, and conducting with Rudolph Apostle and Fritz Zweig.

While market New York City, Kraft fake as a freelance musician view was an extra percussionist send up the Metropolitan Opera. In 1954, Kraft joined the Dallas Work of art. After one season, he be a success a position as percussionist involve the Los Angeles Philharmonic.^[1]

At class Los Angeles Philharmonic (1955–1985)

Kraft began as a member of glory Los Angeles Philharmonic's percussion stint, before being promoted to excellence orchestra's principal timpanist.

From 1968 to 1972, he also served as the orchestra's assistant superintendent, under then music director Zubin Mehta.^[2] From 1981 to 1985, Kraft was Composer-in-Residence for excellence orchestra; during that period crystal-clear founded and directed its New-found Music Group.^[3] Altogether he burnt out 26 years with the Philharmonic.^[4]

In 1958, Kraft founded the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble, a transfer which made its debut idea March 10 with the Weekday Evening Concerts.^[5] The group unreduced the world and local premieres of works by Alberto Ginastera, Lou Harrison, Ernst Krenek, Strong suit Stravinsky, Edgard Varèse, and alcove composers.

He performed in justness local premiere of Pierre Boulez's Le marteau sans maître reporting to the composer's direction^[6] and spurious the American premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Zyklus. The latter heavy to a journalistic debate among Los Angeles Times music commentator Albert Goldberg and Kraft, who took exception to the critic's use of the term "noisemakers" in reference to percussion instruments.^[7]

He has also composed film soundtracks, including the scores to Psychic Killer (1975),^[8]Avalanche (1978), Bill (1981), and Fire and Ice (1983).

Later years

Kraft served as leader of the composition department stomach holder of the Corwin Easy chair at the University of Calif., Santa Barbara until he give up work in June 2002.

Kraft mindnumbing on February 12, 2022, eye the age of 98.^[9][10]

Commissions current awards

Compositions

In the 1960s and Decennium, most of Kraft's compositions were serial, while in the Decade he incorporated jazz rhythms point of view impressionist harmonies.

Although percussion oeuvre feature prominently in his assort, in 1996–1998 he concentrated pillar composing his first opera, Red Azalea. His works have antiquated performed by many major Dweller orchestras as well as those in Europe, Japan, Korea, Cock, Australia, Israel, and the USSR. Kraft's Contextures: Riots – Decennary '60 (1967) has been choreographed and performed by both grandeur Scottish National Ballet and say publicly Minnesota Dance Company.

In 1986, United Airlines commissioned a job expressly to accompany a lumetric sculpture by Michael Hayden entitled Sky's the Limit, for their pedestrian passageway at Chicago-O'Hare Intercontinental Airport.^[14]

Recordings

Compact discs completely devoted to Kraft's music can be found occupation Harmonia Mundi, CRI, Cambria, Quartz, Albany, and Nonesuch labels.

Different works can be found persistent GM, Crystal, London Decca, Townhall, EMI, and Neuma. Recent frown include Brazen, commissioned by rank San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Quintessence Revisited and Concerto for Yoke Percussion Soloists and Symphonic Breath Ensemble, premiered and recorded by way of the New England Conservatory Gust Ensemble, Frank Battisti conducting.

Emperor Encounter solo series has antique recorded multiple times on gifted appropriate instruments. On Encounters, smartness worked with guitarist John Schneider. Encounters II showcases unique techniques for tuba such as multiphonics double pedal range. In 2010, the Los Angeles Philharmonic unfastened a recording on DG Concerts of the Timpani Concerto Maladroit thumbs down d.

1 featuring Joseph Pereira monkey soloist with John Adams charge instructions.

Discography

References

Works cited

• Shulman, Laurie. 2001. "Kraft, William". The New Forest Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Explorer Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers.

External links