Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1933

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Band

 

 

Symphony

 

Jerry Bilik was an American composer, arranger, and conductor who was born on August 3, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a violinist and his mother a pianist. Bilik began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the trumpet and saxophone. He attended DePaul University in Chicago, where he studied music composition and conducting. After graduating from DePaul, Bilik began his career as a composer and arranger for various television shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Jackie Gleason Show. He also worked as a staff arranger for the NBC Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Arturo Toscanini. In the 1960s, Bilik began composing music for the Walt Disney Company, including the score for the film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. He also wrote the music for several Disney theme park attractions, including the Main Street Electrical Parade and the Haunted Mansion. One of Bilik's most famous works is his arrangement of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa. Bilik's arrangement, which features a prominent role for the piccolo, has become a staple of Fourth of July celebrations and patriotic events. Bilik also composed several original works, including the ballet The Nutcracker Suite, which was commissioned by the Chicago Ballet. He also wrote a number of concert band pieces, including "American Civil War Fantasy," "The Battle of Shiloh," and "The Spirit of '76." In addition to his work as a composer and arranger, Bilik was also a respected conductor. He served as the conductor of the Chicago Pops Orchestra and the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and he guest conducted numerous other orchestras throughout the United States. Bilik passed away on January 22, 2021, at the age of 87. His contributions to the world of music, particularly in the realm of patriotic and Americana music, continue to be celebrated and enjoyed by audiences around the world.

More....