Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

May 18, 1902 in Mason City, IA

Death

:

June 15, 1984 in Santa Monica, CA

Genre

:

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Meredith Willson was an American composer, conductor, and playwright who is best known for his Broadway musical, "The Music Man." He was born on May 18, 1902, in Mason City, Iowa, to John David Willson and Rosalie Reiniger Willson. His father was a music teacher and band leader, and his mother was a talented pianist. Willson grew up in a musical household and began playing the flute and piccolo at a young age. Willson attended the Damrosch Institute of Musical Art in New York City, where he studied flute and composition. He also played in the pit orchestra for several Broadway shows, including "Show Boat" and "The Three Musketeers." In 1924, he joined the New York Philharmonic as a flutist and played under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. In the 1930s, Willson moved to Hollywood and began working as a composer and arranger for films. He worked on over 50 films, including "The Little Colonel" and "The Great Dictator." He also wrote music for radio shows, including "The Burns and Allen Show" and "The Jack Benny Program." In 1951, Willson wrote his first Broadway musical, "The Music Man." The show tells the story of a con man named Harold Hill who comes to a small town in Iowa to sell band instruments and uniforms, but has no intention of actually teaching the children how to play. The show was a huge success and ran for 1,375 performances. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was later adapted into a film starring Robert Preston and Shirley Jones. Willson's other Broadway shows include "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and "Here's Love," a musical adaptation of the classic film "Miracle on 34th Street." He also wrote several operas, including "The Music Man's" sequel, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," and "The Great Race." Willson was known for his use of marches and other traditional American music in his compositions. He often incorporated elements of his Midwestern upbringing into his work, such as the use of a barbershop quartet in "The Music Man." He was also a skilled conductor and often conducted his own works. Willson was married twice and had two children. He died on June 15, 1984, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 82. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982. In conclusion, Meredith Willson was a talented composer and conductor who made significant contributions to American music. His use of traditional American music and incorporation of his Midwestern upbringing into his work set him apart from other composers of his time. "The Music Man" remains one of the most beloved musicals of all time and is a testament to Willson's talent and creativity.

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