Role

:

Composer Conductor

Birth

:

1950 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

David DeBoor Canfield was an American composer, musicologist, and educator who was born on August 26, 1950, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father was a pianist and his mother was a singer, and they both encouraged him to pursue music from a young age. Canfield began his musical education at the age of six, studying piano with his father. He later studied trumpet and French horn, and played in various school bands and orchestras. He also sang in choirs and played in jazz ensembles. Canfield attended Indiana University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in composition in 1972. He then went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Michigan in 1974. He continued his studies at the University of Iowa, where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition in 1978. Canfield's early compositions were influenced by the avant-garde music of the 1960s and 1970s, but he later developed a more tonal and accessible style. His music is characterized by its lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and colorful orchestration. Canfield's compositions include works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo instruments, and voice. Some of his most notable works include his Symphony No. 1, which was premiered by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1982, and his Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, which was premiered by the Louisville Orchestra in 1985. Canfield was also a prolific writer and musicologist. He wrote numerous articles and books on music, including a biography of the composer Vincent Persichetti. He was a professor of music at the University of North Texas from 1983 until his retirement in 2015. Canfield was a respected and influential figure in the world of classical music. He received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the ASCAP Award for Young Composers in 1978 and the Indiana Governor's Arts Award in 1990. Canfield passed away on December 1, 2017, at the age of 67. His legacy lives on through his music and his contributions to the field of musicology.

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