Robert Wykes
Encyclopedia
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
. He then attended the Eastman School of Music
, obtaining a master's degree in music theory.
He taught at Bowling Green State University
from 1950 to 1952, also playing flute with the Toledo Symphony. His opera
The Prankster premiered at the University in January 1952. Later that year, Wykes left Bowling Green to study and teach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
where he stayed until he graduated with a doctorate in music in 1955. He was appointed to the music faculty of Washington University
in St. Louis, Missouri
in 1955, becoming a full professor in 1965. He played flute with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1967 and with the Studio for New Music from 1966 to 1969. He retired from Washington University in 1988. He was appointed composer-in-residence at the Djerassi Foundation in Woodside, California
in 1989 and was a visiting scholar at the Computer Center for Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University
in 1991. His notable students include Olly Wilson
, Jocy de Oliveira
, Gary Lee Nelson
, Audrey Kooper Hammann, Mary Ann Joyce-Walter, Charles Alan Beeler, Tom Hamilton, Robert Fruehwald, Greg Danner
, and David Patterson
.
Wykes's orchestral works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra
, the Minnesota Orchestra
, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
, the National Orchestra of Brazil and the Pro Arte Symphony of Brazil, and the Denver Symphony
.
Wykes's music is published by Fallen Leaf Press of Berkeley, California
.
Concert Works
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:...
and flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
.
He began studying the flute as a child, then served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He then attended 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...
, obtaining a master's degree in music theory.
He taught at Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
from 1950 to 1952, also playing flute with the Toledo Symphony. His opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
The Prankster premiered at the University in January 1952. Later that year, Wykes left Bowling Green to study and teach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
where he stayed until he graduated with a doctorate in music in 1955. He was appointed to the music faculty of Washington University
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 St. Louis, Missouri
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...
in 1955, becoming a full professor in 1965. He played flute with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1967 and with the Studio for New Music from 1966 to 1969. He retired from Washington University in 1988. He was appointed composer-in-residence at the Djerassi Foundation in Woodside, California
Woodside, California
Woodside is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It uses a council-manager system of government. The U.S. Census estimated the population of the town to be 5,287 in 2010....
in 1989 and was a visiting scholar at the Computer Center for Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1991. His notable students include Olly Wilson
Olly Wilson
Olly Woodrow Wilson, Jr. 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.-Life:...
, Jocy de Oliveira
Jocy de Oliveira
Jocy de Oliveira is a Brazilian pianist, multimedia artist and composer.-Biography:Jocy de Oliveira was born in Curitiba and grew up in São Paulo, Brazil. She studied in São Paulo with Joseph Kliass, in Paris with Marguerite Long, and in St. Louis with Robert Wykes. She received a Master of Arts...
, Gary Lee Nelson
Gary Lee Nelson
Gary Lee Nelson is a composer and media artist who taught at Oberlin College in the Technology in Music and Related Arts department. He specializes in algorithmic composition, real-time interactive sound and video along with digital film making.-Biography:In 1964, Nelson attended Utrecht...
, Audrey Kooper Hammann, Mary Ann Joyce-Walter, Charles Alan Beeler, Tom Hamilton, Robert Fruehwald, Greg Danner
Greg Danner
Greg Danner is an award-winning contemporary American composer, educator, and professional musician. He is currently the composer-in-residence and professor at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee. He is the 2010 Composer's Guild Grand Prize winner.-Biography:Danner was born May 16,...
, and David Patterson
David Patterson
David Patterson may refer to:*David Patterson , American professor of computer science at UC Berkeley*Dave Patterson , baseball player...
.
Wykes's orchestral works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
, the Minnesota Orchestra
Minnesota Orchestra
The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Emil Oberhoffer founded the orchestra as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, and it gave its first performance on November 5 of that year. In 1968 the orchestra changed to its name to the Minnesota Orchestra...
, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the SLSO is the second-oldest symphony orchestra in the United States as it is preceded by the New York Philharmonic.-History:The St...
, the National Orchestra of Brazil and the Pro Arte Symphony of Brazil, and the Denver Symphony
Denver Symphony Orchestra
The Denver Symphony Orchestra, established in 1934 and dissolved in 1989, was a professional American orchestra in Denver, Colorado. Until 1978, when the Boettcher Concert Hall was built to house the symphony orchestra, it performed in a succession of theaters, amphitheaters and auditoriums...
.
Wykes's music is published by Fallen Leaf Press of 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...
.
Works
Film Scores- Monument to a Dream (1968); Venice Film Festival Mercuro d'Oro.
- Robert Kennedy Remembered (1969); Oscar and Cindy awards.
- The Eye of Jefferson (1977); Cine Golden Eagle Award and Chicago Film Festival Silver Plaque.
- John F. Kennedy: 1917-1963 (1977); Cine Golden Eagle Award.
- Water: The Source of Life (1984): for the American Pavilion, 1984 Louisiana World Exposition.
Concert Works
- Toward Time’s Receding (1972); Orchestra.
- A Lyric Symphony (1980); Orchestra, Friedheim Award, Honorable Mention.
- Sonata for Flute and Piano, to Albert TiptonAlbert TiptonAlbert Tipton was an American flutist, pianist and conductor. In 1966, Time placed Albert Tipton amongst the "30 first-rate flutists" in the United States and Europe. He studied with William Kincaid at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia...
and Mary Norris, (revised 1982). - For Cello (1989); Solo Cello, Fallen Leaf Press, Berkeley, CA.
- Three concert etudes: for flute alone (1989); Fallen Leaf Press, Berkeley, CA.
- 9 Miniatures : (three sets of three) (1993); Violin, Cello and Piano, Fallen Leaf Press, Berkeley, CA.
- Lake Music (2004); Solo Alto Flute, in New Music for Solo Alto/Bass Flute, Southeast Missouri State UniversitySoutheast Missouri State UniversitySoutheast Missouri State University, is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States, near the banks of the Mississippi River. The institution, having started as a normal school, has a traditional strength in teacher education...
.