Ronald Jack Nelson (born December 14, 1929) is 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 ...

of both classical and

popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...

and a retired

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 ...

Biography

Ron Nelson was born December 14, 1929, in Joliet,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. He studied composition 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 ...

at the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...

, earning a bachelor's degree in 1952, a master's degree in 1953, and a doctorate in composition in 1957. His teachers at Eastman included Louis Mennini,

Bernard Rogers Bernard Rogers (4 February 1893 – 24 May 1968) was an American composer. His best known work is ''The Passion'', an oratorio written in 1942. Life and career Rogers was born in New York City. He studied with Arthur Farwell, Ernest Bloc ...

and

Howard Hanson Howard Harold Hanson (October 28, 1896 – February 26, 1981)''The New York Times'' – Obituaries. Harold C. Schonberg. February 28, 1981 p. 1011/ref> was an American composer, conductor, educator, music theorist, and champion of American class ...

. In 1954–1955 he studied with

Tony Aubin Tony Louis Alexandre Aubin (8 December 1907 – 21 September 1981) was a French composer. Career Aubin was born in Paris. From 1925 to 1930, he studied at the Paris Conservatory under Samuel Rousseau (composer), Samuel Rousseau (music theory), ...

in France at the Ecole Normale de Musique and at the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

under a

Fulbright Grant The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

. In 1956, Dr. Nelson joined the faculty of

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, where he served as chairman of the music department from 1963 to 1973, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1993. In 1991, Dr. Nelson was awarded the Acuff Chair of Excellence in the Creative Arts, the first musician to hold the chair. His ''Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H)'' was the first piece to win all three major wind band composition prizes during one period — the National Band Association Prize, the

American Bandmasters Association The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman to promote concert band music.Raoul F. Camus. "American Bandmasters Association." In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/sub ...

Ostwald Award The Sousa/Ostwald Award is an annual award given by the American Bandmasters Association for a composition for concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic wi ...

, and the Sudler International Prize. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by the

John Philip Sousa Foundation The John Philip Sousa Foundation is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the promotion of band music internationally. The foundation administers a number of projects and awards supporting high quality band performance, conducting, and composition ...

in 1994. In 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from

Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and doctor ...

. Nelson has received numerous commissions, including those from the

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Mem ...

, the

Rochester Philharmonic The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is an American orchestra based in the city of Rochester, New York. Its primary concert venue is the Eastman Theatre at the Eastman School of Music. History George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Company ...

, the USAF Band and Chorus, Musashino Wind Ensemble,

Aspen Music Festival The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado. It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, the ...

and numerous colleges and universities. He has also received grants and awards from The

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...

, the Howard Foundation,

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

, and several from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

. Conductor

Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fat ...

may have described Ron Nelson best: "Nelson is the quintessential American composer. He has the ability to move between conservative and newer styles with ease. The fact that he's a little hard to categorize is what makes him interesting." (''Los Angeles Daily News'', February 19, 1996) Ron Nelson resides with his wife, Michele, in Scottsdale,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Selected works

Orchestral works

* 1952 ''Savannah River Holiday'' * 1958 ''Sarabande for Katharine in April'' * 1960 ''This Is The Orchestra'' * 1960 ''Jubilee'' * 1961 ''Toccata for Orchestra'' * 1969 ''Trilogy: JFK-MLK-RFK'' * 1969 ''Rocky Point Holiday'' * 1976 ''Five Pieces after Paintings by

Andrew Wyeth Andrew Newell Wyeth ( ; July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009) was an American visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century. In his ...

'' * 1996 ''Panels (Epiphanies 11)'' * 1997 ''Resonances 11''

Works for wind ensemble

* 1958 ''Mayflower Overture'' * 1969 ''

Rocky Point Holiday ''Rocky Point Holiday'' is a composition for wind ensemble by Ron Nelson. It was written in 1966Concert Program of CBDNA 14th National Conference at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan in February 1967. on a summer vacation in Rocky Point, ...

'' * 1973 ''Savannah River Holiday'' * 1982 ''Fanfare for a Celebration'' * 1982 ''Medieval Suite'' * 1983 ''Pebble Beach Sojourn'' for organ, brass and percussion * 1984 ''Aspen Jubilee'' * 1985 ''Danza Capriccio'' for solo alto

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

and wind ensemble * 1988 ''Te Deum Laudamus'' for SATB chorus and wind ensemble * 1989 ''Morning Alleluias'' * 1989 ''Fanfare For The Hour of Sunrise'' * 1990 ''Resonances 1'' * 1991 ''Lauds'' (Praise High Day) * 1992 ''To The Airborne'' * 1992 ''Passacaglia (Homage on B-A-C-H)'' * 1994 ''Epiphanies – Fanfares and Chorales'' * 1994 ''Chaconne (In Memoriam...)'' * 1994 ''Sonoran Desert Holiday'' * 1995 ''Epiphanies (Fanfares and Chorales)'' * 1995 ''Nightsong (Homage Howard Hanson)'' * 1995 ''Fanfare For The Kennedy Center'' * 1995 ''Courtly Airs and Dances'' * 1999 ''Fanfare for the new Millennium'' for symphonic band and two antiphonal brass choirs * 2006 ''Pastorale: Autumn Rune'' * 2019 ''Homage to Landini''

Stage works

* 1954 ''Dance in Ruins'' Ballet * 1955–1956 ''The Birthday of the Infanta'' Opera for Chamber Orchestra * 1981 ''Hamaguchi'' Opera for Chamber Ensemble

Chamber music

* 1982 ''Kristen's Song'' for Violin, Flute, and Organ * 1983 ''And the Moon Rose Golden'' for Cello and Piano

Choral music

* 1958 ''Three Mountain Ballads'' for women's chorus or SATB * 1958 ''Choral Fanfare for Easter'' for mixed chorus and narrator * 1960 ''Fanfare for a Festival'' for mixed chorus, brass and timpani * 1961 ''Behold Man'' for men's chorus * 1962 ''Three Ancient Prayers'' for SATB and organ * 1963 ''Triumphal Te Deum'' for double chorus, brass, organ, and percussion * 1964 ''Oratorio: What is Man?'' in three movements, for narrator, soprano solo and baritone solo, mixed chorus, and orchestra] *1968 ''Autumn Night'' (women’s chorus and piano; text by Alice Streatch) * 1969 ''Alleluia, July 20, 1969'' for mixed chorus * 1972 ''Prayer of

Emperor of China ''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heave ...

on the Altar of Heaven, December 21, 1539'' for mixed chorus and ensemble * 1977 ''Four Pieces After The Seasons'' for mixed chorus * 1981 ''Mass of Saint LaSalle'' for mixed chorus, organ, mallet instruments, pianos, and percussion * 1982 ''Three Nocturnal Pieces'' for mixed chorus, solo viola, piano and percussion * 1983 ''Three Settings of the Moon'' for women's chorus (SA), piano, marimba, and glockenspiel * 1989 ''Three Pieces After Tennyson'' for mixed chorus or TTBB * 2002 ''Proclaim this Day for Music'' for mixed chorus, brass, and percussion * 2005 ''Let Us Find A Meadow''

References

External links

Official Website

December 19, 1997 {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Ron 1929 births 20th-century classical composers American male classical composers American classical composers Brown University faculty Eastman School of Music alumni Living people Musicians from Joliet, Illinois École Normale de Musique de Paris alumni Writers from Joliet, Illinois 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from Illinois 20th-century American male musicians