John E. Cheetham (January 13, 1939 – June 25, 2024) was an American composer, educator, performer, and professor emeritus at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

where he was a longtime Professor of Composition and Music Theory in the School of Music. His works have been widely performed in the United States and internationally.

Early life and education

Born in

Taos, New Mexico Taos () is a town in Taos County, New Mexico, Taos County, in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Santa Fe ...

on January 13, 1939, Cheetham grew up with a musical background. In 1962, he went on to attend the University of New Mexico where he earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in music. During his attendance at the university, he became the first trombonist in the campus orchestra, which was known as the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra until 2011. This allowed him several opportunities for exposure to new literature, which broadened his musical perspective. In 1965, Cheetham attained a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition from the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

Personal Life

In Cheetham's tenure, much of his music is published commercially and through his own publishing firm, BoonesLick Press. He also has several incomplete and unpublished works that are catalogued. John was an avid woodworker in his spare time and built everything from an elaborate deck on his home to many pieces of fine-quality furniture. He enjoyed traveling and took many trips. Cheetham died on June 25, 2024, at the age of 85.

University of Missouri

Cheetham became professor of composition and music theory at the University of Missouri School of Music in 1969. During his career, he composed works for virtually all media and published commercially. He retired from the university in 2000 and started his own label, Booneslick Press in 2001. Cheetham was also a member of the Columbia Community Band, where he served as composer-in-residence.

Selected works

Source: Active from 1969 to 2024, Cheetham is known for his contributions as a musician, composer, and music educator. His performances, compositions, and community involvement emphasize the rich and diverse musical traditions of the region from which he drew.

Brass Ensembles

* A Brass Menagerie * Allusions * Colloquies * Commemorative Fanfare (1979) * Concertino * Divertimento * Fanfare Continental Harmony * Gaelic Variations * Open Ye Gates, Swing Wide Ye Portals * Pavane * Scherzo (1963) * Sonata for Brass Quintet * Three Hymns

Choir

* Gloria * Oh, the Depth * Three British Folk Songs

Concert Band

* ABA Symphonic March (1986) * A Christmas Greeting * Adios * Booneslickers * Brass Menagerie * Fanfare for the Ozarks * Canticle for Band (1965) * Dover Crossing * Elegy * Fanfare and Steeplechaseref * Glad Tidings * Ha'Penny March * Infinite Horizons (1991) * In Memoriam Oklahoma City * Journey of the Three Rivers * Kitty Hawk * Overture "Silver Jubilee" * Runaway Train * Silhouette * Songs from the Open Range

Mixed Ensembles

* Eclectix * Keystone Celebration (1989) * Reflections and Rattledance * Scherzo Concertante

Orchestral

* Missouri River Songs & Dances * Three Bentons * Yuletide Offering

Solos

* Concoctions for Trumpet * Homage * Little Rose * Prelude and Allegro * Sonata for Trombone and Piano(2007)

Bibliography

References

External links

booneslickpress.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheetham, John 1939 births 20th-century American classical composers 21st-century American classical composers American male classical composers University of New Mexico alumni University of Washington alumni 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians University of Missouri faculty University of Missouri School of Music faculty People from Taos, New Mexico Musicians from Columbia, Missouri Composers from Columbia, Missouri 2024 deaths