Charles C. Knox (April 19, 1929,

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

– December 11, 2019, in AtlantaCharles Knox obituary
/ref>) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...

. He is particularly noted for his music for

brass instrument A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. Brass instruments are also called labrosones or labrophones, from Latin a ...

s and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

, among his over 100 compositions to date. Knox received a B.F.A. in music from the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

, where he joined the

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...

music fraternity (Epsilon Lambda chapter) in 1950 and was later elected to

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

. He subsequently earned both his M.Mus. and Ph.D. from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

, where he studied composition with

Bernhard Heiden Bernhard Heiden (b. Frankfurt-am-Main, August 24, 1910; d. Bloomington, IN, April 30, 2000) was a German and American composer and music teacher, who studied under and was heavily influenced by Paul Hindemith. Bernhard Heiden, the son of Ernst ...

. Knox was professor of music at

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the ...

for over three decades. In 2001 he was recipient of a ''Mayor's Fellowship in the Arts'' from the City of Atlanta. Examples of Knox's chamber works can be found in audio format on two compact discs, ''Clouds Are Not Spheres'' (1997, Albany Records #254) and ''2002: Chamber Music of Charles Knox'' (2000, ACA Digital #ACD 20066).

Selected works

* ''Music for Brass Quintet'' (1953, revised 1967) * Symphony for band (1955) * ''Concert Piece'' for bassoon and orchestra (1959) * Suite for piano 4-hands (1959) * ''A Dedication Litany'' for mixed chorus a cappella (1960) * ''Solo'' for trumpet with brass trio (1966) * ''Solo'' for tuba with brass trio (1969) * Sonatina for piano (1969) * ''Sing We to Our God Above'' for chorus and organ (1970) * ''Festival Procession'' for chorus, brass quartet and organ (1972) * Symphony for brass and percussion (1974) * ''Music for Brass Quintet and Piano'' (1983) * ''Rounds About'' for violin, clarinet, trombone and percussion (1983) * ''Song and Double'' for oboe and piano (1984) * Quintet for Woodwinds (1989) * ''Music for Viola and Percussion'' (1989) * ''Visible Canon'' for 4 keyboard percussionists (1990) * ''His Praises We'll Sing'' for treble chorus and organ (1991, later arranged for mixed voices) * ''Semordnilap'' for voice, flute, marimba and piano (1991) * ''Tau of "n"'' for flute, clarinet, vibraphone, cello and piano (1992) * ''Scherzos'' for horn, violin and piano (1993) * ''Wings for Our Soul'' for violin and piano (1993) * ''Clouds Are Not Spheres'' for flute, cello and piano (1994) * ''Odd Shapes Carry Meaning'', Symphony in three movements (played without pause) for saxophone orchestra (1996) * ''Attempted Claviercide'' (1996) * ''Familiar Objects Seen in a New Light'' (1998) * ''The Framing of This Circle'' for violin, horn and piano (1999) * ''Rivers Run through It'', Sonatina for flute and piano (2001) * ''Music for the Outer Edge'', for flute quartet (2012)

References

External links

Georgia State University School of MusicAlbany RecordsCharles Knox at Lux Nova Press
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Charles 1929 births 2019 deaths American male composers 21st-century American composers University of Georgia alumni Indiana University alumni Georgia State University alumni 21st-century American male musicians