Olly Wilson
Encyclopedia
Olly Woodrow Wilson, Jr. (b. St. Louis
, Missouri
, September 7, 1937) is a prominent American
composer of contemporary classical music
, pianist, double bassist, and musicologist. He is one of the preeminent living composers of African American
descent.
He graduated with a B.M. degree from Washington University in St. Louis
in 1959, and earned an M.M. degree in music composition in 1960 from the University of Illinois. His composition instructors included Robert Wykes
, Robert Kelley, and Philip Bezanson
. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa
in 1964.
Wilson has taught at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
(1965-1970). He is currently an emeritus professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley
, where he taught since 1970, retiring in 2002. He also served as the chairman of that university's music department between 1993 and 1997. His notable students include Neil Rolnick
, Dwight Banks, Robert Greenberg
, and Frank La Rocca
.
He has been commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
and New York Philharmonic
. In 1995 he was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters
.
In 1971, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship
, which he used to live in West Africa, where he studied African music and languages. In 2008, he received a Rome Prize
.
Wilson's music is published by Gunmar Music (a division of G. Schirmer
). His music has been recorded on the Columbia
, CRI
, Desto
, Turnabout, and New World
labels.
Wilson is married and lives in Berkeley, California
.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, September 7, 1937) is a prominent American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer of contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
, pianist, double bassist, and musicologist. He is one of the preeminent living composers of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
descent.
Life
He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Alma Grace Peoples Wilson, a seamstress, and Olly Woodrow Wilson, Sr., an insurance salesman and butler.He graduated with a B.M. degree from Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
in 1959, and earned an M.M. degree in music composition in 1960 from the University of Illinois. His composition instructors included Robert Wykes
Robert Wykes
Robert A. Wykes is an American composer of contemporary classical music and flautist.He began studying the flute as a child, then served in World War II...
, Robert Kelley, and Philip Bezanson
Philip Bezanson
Philip Thomas Bezanson was an American composer and educator.-Life:Born in Athol, Massachusetts, he graduated from Yale University School of music in 1940 and after war services enrolled in the graduate program of composition at the State University of Iowa were he joined its faculty eight years...
. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
in 1964.
Wilson has taught at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, located on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1865 and is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. Students of Oberlin Conservatory enter a very broad network within the music world, as the school's alumni...
(1965-1970). He is currently an emeritus professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he taught since 1970, retiring in 2002. He also served as the chairman of that university's music department between 1993 and 1997. His notable students include Neil Rolnick
Neil Rolnick
Neil B. Rolnick is an American composer and educator living in New York City.Rolnick's compositions have appeared on 16 records and CDs...
, Dwight Banks, Robert Greenberg
Robert Greenberg
Robert M. Greenberg , is an American composer, pianist, and musicologist who was born in Brooklyn, NY. He has composed more than 45 works for a variety of instruments and voices, and has recorded a number of lecture series on music history and music appreciation for The Teaching...
, and Frank La Rocca
Frank La Rocca
Frank La Rocca American Composer.-Life:Frank La Rocca was born in 1951 in New Jersey. He studied at Yale and at the University of California at Berkeley. His early musical experiences ranged from classical piano to playing electronic keyboards in various rock and blues bands. He began composing...
.
He has been commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
and New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
. In 1995 he was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 250-member honor society; its goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Located in Washington Heights, a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan in New York, it shares Audubon Terrace, its Beaux Arts campus on...
.
In 1971, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
, which he used to live in West Africa, where he studied African music and languages. In 2008, he received a Rome Prize
Rome Prize
The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists and to 15 scholars The Rome Prize is an American award made annually by the American Academy in Rome, through a national competition, to 15 emerging artists...
.
Wilson's music is published by Gunmar Music (a division of G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer
G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
). His music has been recorded on the Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, CRI
Composers Recordings, Inc.
Composers Recordings, Inc. was an American record label dedicated to the recording of contemporary classical music by American composers. It was founded in 1954 by Otto Luening, Douglas Moore, and Oliver Daniel, and based in New York City....
, Desto
Desto Records
Desto Records was an American classical music record label based in New York and founded in approximately 1964. Its records were distributed by CMS Records of Mount Vernon, New York beginning in the 1970s...
, Turnabout, and New World
New World Records
New World Records is a record label based in New York City specialising in American music. The label was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to produce a 100 disc anthology covering 200 years of American music....
labels.
Wilson is married and lives in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.
External links
- Olly Wilson page
- Olly Wilson biography
- Olly Wilson page from G. Schirmer site