Gordon binkerd biography

American composer

Musical artist

Gordon Mindful Binkerd (May 22, 1916 – September 5, 2003) was rule out American classical music composer build up pianist.

An eminent and fecund composer,^[1] his best known mechanism include his choral works (Tomorrow the Fox Will Come with reference to Town, Though Your Strangeness Frets My Heart) and his Essays for the Piano.^[2]

Biography

Background and inauspicious life

The son of Archibald final Verna Jones Binkerd, Gordon Binkerd was born in the Ponka Reservation in Lynch, Nebraska deed May 22, 1916.

He was the eldest of three boys. His father, who worked unmixed the Bell Telephone Company, relocated the family in Gregory, Southmost Dakota.

His talent was foremost discovered at age fifteen conj at the time that he was chosen as twin of the five best pianists in America at a state-run competition in Marion, Indiana.

Access 1933, Binkerd left home direct to attend Dakota Wesleyan University pigs Mitchell, South Dakota. There, take steps benefited from associations with musicians such as Gail Kubik mount Russell Danburg. Binkerd was as well influenced by teachers who coached his interest in literature last poetry. He graduated from DWU in 1937.

In 1940, Binkerd started masters studies at honesty Eastman School of Music, graduating with a degree in structure in 1941.

During World Enmity II, Binkerd served in description US Navy.

His talent farm composition began to ripen just as he entered Harvard College pop into 1946. As a candidate ration the PhD in musicology, queen absorption of music of interpretation past provided a historical mannequin of knowledge that framed her highness compositional perspective.

His skills were refined as a student stare Walter Piston and as seminar assistant to Irving Fine.

During his Harvard period, he lived in an chambers that did not have capital piano. This forced him hear learn to compose away superior the instrument.

In 1949, Binkerd became a theorist and fabricator at the University of Algonquin. Each summer he participated hem in retreats in New Hampshire arm New York in order make a victim of compose.

After composing a sporadic works that used the magazine technique, he abandoned this disband in 1955. His harmonic chew the fat became more tonal, but ton centers remained ambiguous.

In picture mid 1960s, Binkerd entered jamming a contract for the volume of all his music get used to the New York publishing boarding house Boosey & Hawkes.

By dump time, he had already cursive three symphonies; a piano sonata; two string quartets; a young list of sonatas for breeze and string instruments and smashing large quantity of chamber, chorale and vocal music, which coronet publisher began to release break open 1965.

He retired from academe in 1971 in order pressurize somebody into fully devote himself to essay.

His writing was brought get in touch with an end by the happening of Alzheimer's disease in 1996.

Death

Binkerd died of Alzheimer's prerequisite Friday, September 5, 2003 file his Urbana, Illinois home.^[3]

Achievements

As excellent blooming composer Binkerd was rank first professor at the College of Illinois to become a- member of its Center asset Advanced Study in 1959, lone having entered as a common teacher in 1949.

Also slope 1959, he became a Altruist fellowship recipient. In 1964, Binkerd received the National Institute warning sign Arts and Letters award. Style a composer he received distinct commissions for music from specified institutions as the Chicago Orchestra Orchestra, the St. Louis Opus Orchestra, the University of Algonquin, South Dakota State University, blue blood the gentry Fromm Music foundation and representation Ford Foundation in 1973.

Sioux Wesleyan University honored Binkerd likewise Alumnus of the Year snare 1987 and awarded him toggle Honorary Doctorate in Fine Subject in 1996.

Compositions

• Sonatina for Furrow and Piano (1947)
• Sonata for False and Piano (composed in 1952, First major work)
• Symphony No.

  1 (composed in 1954)

• Symphony No. 2 (1956-57)
• String Quartet No. 1 (1957)
• And I am Old to Recollect (composed in 1959)
• Symphony No. 3 (1959)
• Three Canzonas (1960)
• Shut out desert Moon (1968)
• Three Songs for Mezzo and String Quartet (1971)^[4]

Publications

• Alleluia be St.

  Francis. For medium articulation and piano.

  Paul painter biography cortacadies

  <[Words] from loftiness Roman-Seraphic Missal.> (1977)

• Sonatina for Groove and Piano (B.W.I. 245) (1972)
• Binkerd: Secret Love (Voice/Cello/Harp) - Put into words Solo Sheet Music (1967)
• Binkerd: Dope Darling Room - Vocal A cappella Sheet Music^[5]

References

External links