James Willey

James Willey (* 1939 in Lynn / Massachusetts ) is an American composer and music teacher.

Willey studied at the Eastman School of Music , where he received his bachelor's degree in 1961, his master's degree in 1963 and his Ph. D. in music theory and composition in 1974. In 1964 he also studied at the Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood with Gunther Schuller . From 1972 until his retirement in 2000 he taught at the State University of New York in Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo).

Willey has composed chamber music, orchestral and stage works that have been played by ensembles such as the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra , the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra , the Seattle Symphony , the Baltimore Symphony , the Minnesota Orchestra , the Esterhazy Quartet, and the Tremont String Quartet . World premieres and performances of his compositions took place among others. a. at Carnegie Hall , Tanglewood Music Center , Steinway Hall , Smithsonian Opera House, and Seattle Opera House . Conductors such as David Zinman and Mark Elder included his works in their repertoire.

In addition to numerous awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Willey received three grants from the National Endowment for the Arts . In 2004 the SUNY Geneseo awarded him an honorary doctorate.

source

• SUNY Geneseo - James Willey, Distinguished Professor emeritus and American Composer to receive Honorary Degree