Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1929

Genre

:

Band

 

 

Choral

 

Floyd Werle was an American composer and conductor who was born on August 23, 1928, in Los Angeles, California. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father was a violinist, and his mother was a pianist. Werle started playing the piano at a young age and showed a natural talent for music. Werle attended the University of Southern California, where he studied composition with Ingolf Dahl and Halsey Stevens. He also studied conducting with Fritz Zweig and William Schaefer. After graduating, Werle worked as a composer and arranger for various television shows and films. In 1957, Werle joined the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he taught composition and conducting for over 30 years. He also served as the director of the UCLA Wind Ensemble and the UCLA Symphony Orchestra. Werle's compositions are primarily for wind ensemble and orchestra. He was known for his innovative use of percussion and his incorporation of jazz and popular music elements into his classical compositions. Werle's works have been performed by numerous orchestras and wind ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the United States Marine Band. One of Werle's most famous works is his "Symphony for Band," which was commissioned by the United States Marine Band in 1963. The piece is divided into four movements and features a wide range of musical styles, including jazz, blues, and Latin rhythms. The "Symphony for Band" has become a staple of the wind ensemble repertoire and is considered one of Werle's most significant contributions to the genre. Another notable work by Werle is his "Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble," which was commissioned by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 1979. The piece features a solo percussionist who performs on a wide range of instruments, including marimba, vibraphone, and timpani. The concerto is known for its virtuosic percussion writing and its use of unconventional percussion instruments, such as brake drums and cowbells. Werle's other works include "Fanfare for a New Era," "Symphony No. 2," and "Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble." He also wrote numerous arrangements of popular songs and film scores, including music from "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music." In addition to his work as a composer, Werle was also a respected conductor. He conducted numerous orchestras and wind ensembles throughout his career, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the United States Marine Band. Werle was known for his ability to bring out the best in his musicians and for his innovative programming choices. Werle received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the John Philip Sousa Foundation's Sudler Medal for Lifetime Achievement in 1999. He was also inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 1981 and the National Band Association Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Conductors in 1992. Floyd Werle passed away on December 17, 1998, at the age of 70. His contributions to the wind ensemble and orchestral repertoire continue to be celebrated and performed by musicians around the world. Werle's innovative use of percussion and incorporation of popular music elements into classical compositions have had a lasting impact on the genre and continue to inspire composers and performers today.

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