Biography

Gloria Wilson Swisher was born in Seattle, Washington. She graduated from the University of Washington

University of Washington

University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 in Seattle where she received a Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, Mills College

Mills College

Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...

 in Oakland, California

Oakland, California

Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

, where she earned a Master of Music in composition and the Eastman School of Music

Eastman School of Music

The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...

 in Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York

Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

, where she earned a Ph.D. in 1960. She studied composition under John Verrall

John Verrall

John Weedon Verrall was an American composer of contemporary classical music.-Life:Prior to his University studies, Verrall studied composition with Donald Ferguson, followed by studies with R. O. Morris in London and Zoltán Kodály in Budapest. He obtained a B.M. degree from the Minneapolis School...

, Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...

, Bernard Rogers

Bernard Rogers

Bernard Rogers was an American composer.Rogers was born in New York City. He studied with Arthur Farwell, Ernest Bloch, Percy Goetschius, and Nadia Boulanger. He taught at the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Hartt School, and the Eastman School of Music...

, and Howard Hanson

Howard Hanson

Howard Harold Hanson was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American classical music. As director for 40 years of the Eastman School of Music, he built a high-quality school and provided opportunities for commissioning and performing American music...

. She is a member of The International Association of Women in Music, the Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...

 Society and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. She was awarded the Sigma Alpha Iota Inter-American prize for her composition Salutations for oboe and piano. Swisher was the subject of a 2009 University of Washington dissertation, The choral music of Gloria Wilson Swisher, by Robert Bigley.

Swisher has taught at Washington State University

Washington State University

Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...

 in Pullman

Pullman, Washington

Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...

, Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty...

 in Tacoma, Shoreline Community College

Shoreline Community College

Shoreline Community College is a community college in Shoreline, north of Seattle, Washington. It is located in a residential area east of Shoreview Park. The college contains 83 acres and continuously serves 12,000 full and part-time students....

 (1969–1998) in Seattle, and the University of Washington in Seattle. She is a Professor Emerita of Music at Shoreline Community College, and often performs as a duo pianist with Nancy Matesky. She is a founding member of Ars Nova Press, Inc., a non-profit corporation that promotes and reprints the work of quality composers.

Works

Selected works include:

Orchestral Works:

• 1957 Canción, for orchestra
• 1960 Concerto for clarinet and orchestra
• 1986 Niigata No. Sumie Black Ink Impressions of Niigata, concerto for piano and orchestra
• 2004 Concerto for flute and orchestra
• Serafina, portrait for orchestra

Works for large ensemble:

• 1955 3 Pieces for Piano & Band
• 1958 Suite for Piano & Wind Sinfonietta
• 1963 Dances for Tomorrow
• 1977 Thanksgiving I
• 1978 Procession
• 1984 Words to a Grand Child, for mixed choir and orchestra
• The Mountain and The Island

Masses and liturgical music:

• Psalm 150 for mixed choir, 2 trumpets, timpani and piano
• God is Gone Up With A Merry Noise, for mixed choir and organ

Stage works:
Opera:

• 1983 The Artist and The Other - libretto: Willy Clark
• 1999 The Prestigious Music Award - premiered on February 18–20, 1999 at the Shoreline Community College Little Theater - libretto: Willy Clark
• 2008 The Legend of Poker Alice - libretto: Willy Clark

Theatre:

• 2004 Gallagher And The Moonbeam
• Incidental music to "For Such A Time as This - text: Ann Chamberlin

Works for choir:

• 1973 Two Faces of Love, for mixed choir and piano
• Beat! Beat! Drums, for mixed choir, 2 trumpets, timpani and piano
• Let Us Celebrate, for mixed choir, 2 trumpets and piano

Vocal music:

• 1977 Sisters, for soprano and piano
• I Sit and Sew
• Tenebris
• The Cabal at Nickel Nackeys
• 1983 Sonnets for Donald, for soprano and piano
• 1990 Three for T, for tenor and piano
• 1995 A Velvet Madonna, for soprano and piano
• Montana, song cycle of six songs for mezzo soprano or baritone and piano

Chamber music

• 1990 Salutations, for oboe and piano
• In 1991 Caprichos for guitar and piano
• Pas de trois, for flute, violin and piano
• Sado, for flute and piano
• Theatre Trio for trumpet, alto saxophone and piano

Works for Organ:

• 2001 Chorale Prelude on "Slane" and "In Dulce Jubilo"

Works for Piano:

• 1983 "Joel" Variations
• Siciliana
• Transcending

External links

• The Music of Gloria Wilson Swisher