Gail Thompson Kubik (September 5, 1914,

South Coffeyville, Oklahoma South Coffeyville is a town in Nowata County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 785. The city of Coffeyville, Kansas is located approximately one mile north of the city, existing as a separate political ent ...

– July 20, 1984,

Covina, California Covina is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley. The population was 51,268 according to the 2020 census, up from 47,796 at the 2010 census. The city's slogan, " ...

) 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 ...

, music director, violinist, and teacher.

Early life, education, and career

Kubik was born to Henry and Evelyn O. Kubik. He studied at the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman. It offers Bachelor of Music (B.M ...

, the

American Conservatory of Music The American Conservatory of Music (ACM) was a major American school of music founded in Chicago in 1886 by John James Hattstaedt (1851–1931). The conservatory was incorporated as an Illinois non-profit corporation. It developed the Conservato ...

in Chicago with

Leo Sowerby Leo Salkeld Sowerby (1 May 1895 – 7 July 1968) was an American composer and church musician. He won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1946 and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid 20th century. Biography ...

, and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

with

Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter Ha ...

and

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. From a ...

. He taught violin and composition at

Monmouth College Monmouth College is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Monmouth, Illinois. Monmouth enrolls approximately 900 students from 21 countries who choose courses from 40 major programs, 43 minors, and 17 pre-professional programs in a c ...

and composition and music history at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

(1937),

Teachers College A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...

and

Scripps College Scripps College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Claremont, California. It was founded as a member of the Claremont Colleges in 1 ...

. Joining

NBC Radio The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the NBC Blue Network it was one of the first t ...

as staff composer in New York in 1940, he was music director for the Motion Picture Bureau at the

Office of War Information The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a United States government agency created during World War II. The OWI operated from June 1942 until September 1945. Through radio broadcasts, newspapers, posters, photographs, films and other ...

, where, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he composed and conducted the music scores of motion pictures. He won the 1952

Pulitzer Prize for Music The Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually in Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first given in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year, and this was eventually converted i ...

for '' Symphony Concertante''. He was a National Patron of

Delta Omicron Delta Omicron () is a co-ed international professional music honors fraternity whose mission is to promote and support excellence in music and musicianship. History Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity was founded on September 6, 1909 at ...

, an international professional music fraternity.

Works

* ''American Caprice'' for piano and orchestra (1933 ; orch. 1936) * Piano Trio (1934) * Violin Concerto, Op. 4 (1934/36, dedicated to

Jascha Heifetz Jascha Heifetz (; December 10, 1987) was a Russian-born American violinist. Born in Vilnius, he moved while still a teenager to the United States, where his Carnegie Hall debut was rapturously received. He was a virtuoso since childhood. Fritz ...

) * Violin Concerto No. 2 (1940/41, dedicated to

Ruggiero Ricci Ruggiero Ricci (24 July 1918 – 5 August 2012) was an American violinist known for performances and recordings of the works of Niccolò Paganini, Paganini. Biography He was born in San Bruno, California, the son of Italian immigrants who first ...

) * Suite for 3 recorders (1941) * Sonatina for Piano (dedicated to Walter Piston) (1941) * Symphony No. 1 in

E-flat major E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically ...

(1946) * Sonata for piano (1947) * ''Celebrations And Epilogue'', 10 short pieces for piano (1938-50) * '' Symphony Concertante'' for piano, viola, trumpet and orchestra (1952) * Symphony No. 2 in

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consis ...

(1954-6) * Symphony No. 3 (1956) * Divertimento No. 1 for thirteen players (1959) * Divertimento No. 2 for eight players (1959) * Sonatina for clarinet and piano (dedicated to Nadia Boulanger) (1959) * String Quartet (1960) * ''In Praise of Johnny Appleseed'' (for bass, chorus, and orchestra), based on the

Vachel Lindsay Nicholas Vachel Lindsay (; November 10, 1879 – December 5, 1931) was an American poet. He is considered a founder of modern ''singing poetry,'' as he referred to it, in which verses are meant to be sung or chanted. Early years Lindsay was born ...

poem, entered into the 1942

National Federation of Music Clubs The National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) is an American non-profit philanthropic music organization that promotes American music, performers, and composers. NFMC endeavors to strengthen quality music education by supporting "high standards o ...

' choral composition contest. (

Kettering Kettering is a market and industrial town in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located north of London and north-east of Northampton, west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place (or territory) of Ket ...

won this contest with a work based on a Vachel Lindsay Johnny Appleseed poem) * Symphony for 2 pianos (reworked from Symphony No. 1) (1949-79) * Prayer and Toccata for 2 pianos and organ (1969-79)

Opera

* ''Boston Baked Beans'' (1952) * ''A Mirror for the Sky'' (a folk opera, first performed 1957)

Film scores

* ''Men and Ships'' (1940) * ''Colleges at War'' (1942) * ''Menpower'' (1942) * ''Paratroops'' (1942) * ''The World at War'' (1942) * ''Dover'' (1942, aka ''Dover Front Line'') * ''Earthquakers'' (1943) * ''Air Pattern-Pacific'' (1944) * '' The Memphis Belle'' (1944) * '' Thunderbolt!'' (1947) * ''C-Man'' (1949) * ''

Gerald McBoing-Boing ''Gerald McBoing-Boing'' is an animated short film about a little boy who speaks through sound effects instead of spoken words. It was produced by United Productions of America (UPA) and given wide release by Columbia Pictures on November 2, 1950. ...

'' (1950 cartoon based on a story by

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Two Gals and a Guy ''Two Gals and a Guy'', also known as ''Baby and Me'', is a 1951 comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Janis Paige, Robert Alda, James Gleason, Lionel Stander, Arnold Stang, The Three Suns, and Patty McCormack, in her film debut. ...

'' (1951, aka ''Baby and Me'') (incidental music, also served as musical director) * '' The Desperate Hours'' (1955). Additional music by Daniele Amfitheatrof (uncredited) * ''

I Thank a Fool ''I Thank a Fool'' is a 1962 British Metrocolor crime film made by Eaton (De Grunwald Productions) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in CinemaScope. It was directed by Robert Stevens and produced by Anatole de Grunwald from a screenplay by Karl Tunb ...

'' (1962) This score was later replaced by

Ron Goodwin Ronald Alfred Goodwin (17 February 19258 January 2003) was an English composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included ''Where Eagles Dare'', ''Battle ...

* ''Music for Bells''

References

External links

*
Kubik papers at Kansas State University

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kubik, Gail 1914 births 1984 deaths American male classical composers American classical composers Columbia University faculty Eastman School of Music alumni Harvard University alumni Pulitzer Prize for Music winners 20th-century classical composers People from Nowata County, Oklahoma People of the United States Office of War Information Mannes School of Music alumni Pupils of Walter Piston American Conservatory of Music alumni American film score composers American male film score composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians