Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Birth

:

September 7, 1937 in St. Louis, MO

Death

:

March 12, 2018 in Oakland, CA

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

Olly Wilson was an American composer and music educator who was born on September 7, 1937, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the youngest of three children and grew up in a musical family. His father was a jazz pianist, and his mother was a singer. Wilson began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the trumpet and French horn. Wilson attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1959. He then went on to study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Master of Music degree in 1961 and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1964. During his time at the University of Illinois, Wilson studied with several prominent composers, including Lejaren Hiller, Salvatore Martirano, and Kenneth Gaburo. He also became interested in electronic music and began experimenting with tape recorders and other electronic equipment. After completing his studies, Wilson taught at several universities, including Florida A&M University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He also served as a visiting professor at several other institutions, including the University of Michigan, the University of Iowa, and the University of Ghana. Throughout his career, Wilson composed a wide variety of music, including orchestral works, chamber music, choral music, and electronic music. He was particularly interested in exploring the intersection of African American music and classical music, and many of his works incorporate elements of jazz, blues, and other African American musical traditions. One of Wilson's most famous works is his 1979 composition "Sometimes," which was commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The piece is a tribute to the civil rights movement and features a solo trumpet that represents the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. The piece has been performed by orchestras around the world and is considered a classic of contemporary classical music. Another notable work by Wilson is his 1985 composition "Lumina," which was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The piece is a tribute to the African American spiritual tradition and features a choir singing traditional spirituals. The piece has been performed by choirs around the world and is considered a landmark work in the field of choral music. In addition to his work as a composer, Wilson was also a respected music educator. He was known for his commitment to promoting diversity in classical music and for his efforts to mentor young composers and performers. He served as a mentor to many prominent composers, including Tania León, Anthony Davis, and George Lewis. Wilson received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and a Fulbright Fellowship. He was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1995. Wilson passed away on March 12, 2018, at the age of 80. He is remembered as a pioneering composer and educator who made significant contributions to the field of contemporary classical music. His work continues to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world.

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