Donald Grantham
Encyclopedia
Donald Grantham is an American
composer
and music
educator.
Grantham was born in Duncan, Oklahoma
. After receiving a Bachelor of Music
from the University of Oklahoma
, he went on to receive his MM and DMA from the University of Southern California
. For two summers he studied under famed French composer and pedagogue, Nadia Boulanger
at the American Conservatory in France
. His music has won many prestigious awards, including the Prix Lili Boulanger, the ASCAP Rudolf Nissim Prize, and First Prize in the National Opera Association's Biennial Composition Competition. Grantham is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship
and three separate grants from the National Endowment for the Arts
. The symphony orchestras of Atlanta
, Cleveland, and Dallas
are among the ensembles that have commissioned Grantham to write new works. Grantham also collaborated with fellow composer Kent Kennan
to author the textbook
The Technique of Orchestration.
Grantham currently teaches music composition at the University of Texas at Austin
Butler School of Music, where he is the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor of Music.
Well known pieces include Southern Harmony and Kentucky Harmony for band.
His most famous piece is the Baron Cimetiere's Mambo.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
educator.
Grantham was born in Duncan, Oklahoma
Duncan, Oklahoma
Duncan is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 23,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County.The official birthdate of the town is considered to be when the first train arrived there on June 27, 1892...
. After receiving a Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, he went on to receive his MM and DMA from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. For two summers he studied under famed French composer and pedagogue, Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
at the American Conservatory in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His music has won many prestigious awards, including the Prix Lili Boulanger, the ASCAP Rudolf Nissim Prize, and First Prize in the National Opera Association's Biennial Composition Competition. Grantham is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
and three separate grants from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
. The symphony orchestras of Atlanta
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Robert Spano has been its music director since 2001...
, Cleveland, and Dallas
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....
are among the ensembles that have commissioned Grantham to write new works. Grantham also collaborated with fellow composer Kent Kennan
Kent Kennan
Kent Wheeler Kennan was an American composer, author, educator, and professor....
to author the textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
The Technique of Orchestration.
Grantham currently teaches music composition at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Butler School of Music, where he is the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor of Music.
Well known pieces include Southern Harmony and Kentucky Harmony for band.
His most famous piece is the Baron Cimetiere's Mambo.
External links
- "Donald Grantham, Professor of Composition" - Profile on Butler School of Music website