William Bergsma
William Laurence Bergsma (born April 1, 1921 in Oakland, California , † March 18, 1994 in Seattle , Washington ) was an American composer.
Bergsma studied from 1938 to 1940 at Stanford University and until 1944 at the Eastman School of Music , also with Howard Hanson and Bernard Rogers . From 1946 he worked at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City as a composition teacher and from 1963 to 1971 as director of the School of Music at the University of Seattle / Washington. Here he founded the Contemporary Group , which was dedicated to the performance of contemporary music and its inclusion in music studies. Since 1967 he was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters .
Bergsma composed two operas and two ballets , two suites, a violin concerto, a wind quintet, piano pieces, choral music, songs and film music.
Works (selection)
- Paul Bunyan , Ballet and Ballet Suite, 1938
- Gold and the Senor Commandante , Ballet, 1941
- 1st symphony , 1949
- A Carol on Twelfth Night for orchestra, 1954
- The Wife of Martin Guerre , Opera, 1956
- Concerto for wind quintet, 1958
- Chameleon Variations for orchestra, 1960
- In Celebration: Toccata for the Sixth Day , 1962
- Violin Concerto , 1966
- The Murder of Comrade Sharik , Opera, 1973
- 2nd symphony , 1976
Web links
- Biography, list of works, etc. a. ( Memento from July 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ Kurt Stone, James P. Cassaro: Bergsma, William. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ^ Members: William Bergsma. American Academy of Arts and Letters, accessed February 16, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bergsma, William |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Bergsma, William Laurence |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American opera composer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 1, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Oakland, California , USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 18, 1994 |
| Place of death | Seattle , Washington , USA |