Michael Hennagin
Encyclopedia
Michael Hennagin was an American composer and university professor.
.
Hennagin began his professional career as a Hollywood
composer and arranger working in film and television. He wrote soundtracks for the Dupont Show of the Week and the television series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
". He composed ballet scores for the Lester Horton
Dance Theater in Los Angeles and incidental music for stage productions in New York City and Los Angeles. He composed in all media from full orchestra works to small chamber pieces and solo songs.
Hennagin wrote music for instrumental and vocal music including frequently performed pieces for choir, symphonic band and orchestra, and percussion ensemble. He was commissioned several times by the Gregg Smith Singers
. He was named National Composer of the Year in 1975 by the Music Teachers National Association
. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music
in Philadelphia. He studied composition with Darius Milhaud
and Aaron Copland
. His Duo Chopinesque for Percussion Ensemble and Walking on the Green Grass for Choir are performed frequently.
He received awards from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognizing his continued commercial influence and success.
He studied composition at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and at summer festivals in Aspen and Tanglewood. His teachers included Aaron Copland and Darius Milhaud.
He came to the University of Oklahoma
in 1972 where he was composer-in-residence and taught composition until his retirement in 1992. He retired, in part, to devote more time to his composing and accept new commissions. For his last work, "Proud Music," he returned to the poetry of Walt Whitman
. For "Proud Music", he combined the texts of Whitman's "Proud Music of the Storm" and "I Hear America Singing". His compositions are published by Walton Music, Southern Music Company, and Boosey and Hawkes.
Shortly before his death, Ohio State University
honored him with a week-long festival and he traveled to New York City where The Gregg Smith Singers
premiered a new choral work at Carnegie Hall
.
Hennagin died suddenly in his home on 11 June, 1993.
Life and career
Hennagin was born in The Dalles, OregonThe Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
.
Hennagin began his professional career as a Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
composer and arranger working in film and television. He wrote soundtracks for the Dupont Show of the Week and the television series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is an American science fiction film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, released by 20th Century Fox in 1961. The story was written by Irwin Allen and Charles Bennett. Walter Pidgeon starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson, with Robert Sterling as Captain Lee Crane...
". He composed ballet scores for the Lester Horton
Lester Horton
Lester Horton was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher.-Early years:Lester Iradell Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 23, 1906. His parents were Iradell Horton and Pollyanna Horton....
Dance Theater in Los Angeles and incidental music for stage productions in New York City and Los Angeles. He composed in all media from full orchestra works to small chamber pieces and solo songs.
Hennagin wrote music for instrumental and vocal music including frequently performed pieces for choir, symphonic band and orchestra, and percussion ensemble. He was commissioned several times by the Gregg Smith Singers
Gregg Smith Singers
The Gregg Smith Singers is a mixed chorus from the United States, directed by Gregg Smith . The group, which comprises 16 singers, was founded at an all-Japanese Methodist church in West Los Angeles, California in 1955, while Smith was studying for his master's degree in music at the University of...
. He was named National Composer of the Year in 1975 by the Music Teachers National Association
Music Teachers National Association
-Membership:Its membership consists of approximately 22,000 independent and collegiate music teachers. MTNA headquarters are in downtown Cincinnati on the 31st floor of the Carew Tower.- MTNA structure :...
. He graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
in Philadelphia. He studied composition with Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
and Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
. His Duo Chopinesque for Percussion Ensemble and Walking on the Green Grass for Choir are performed frequently.
He received awards from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognizing his continued commercial influence and success.
He studied composition at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and at summer festivals in Aspen and Tanglewood. His teachers included Aaron Copland and Darius Milhaud.
He came to 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...
in 1972 where he was composer-in-residence and taught composition until his retirement in 1992. He retired, in part, to devote more time to his composing and accept new commissions. For his last work, "Proud Music," he returned to the poetry of Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
. For "Proud Music", he combined the texts of Whitman's "Proud Music of the Storm" and "I Hear America Singing". His compositions are published by Walton Music, Southern Music Company, and Boosey and Hawkes.
Shortly before his death, Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
honored him with a week-long festival and he traveled to New York City where The Gregg Smith Singers
Gregg Smith Singers
The Gregg Smith Singers is a mixed chorus from the United States, directed by Gregg Smith . The group, which comprises 16 singers, was founded at an all-Japanese Methodist church in West Los Angeles, California in 1955, while Smith was studying for his master's degree in music at the University of...
premiered a new choral work at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
Hennagin died suddenly in his home on 11 June, 1993.
Students of Michael Hennagin
- Jas Miller, Composer, Recording Artist, Teacher, Author, San Diego, CA
- Cheryl Bates, Lone Star College - Tomball
- Joseph Blaha, Roanoke College
- Nancy Cobb-Lippens, Director of the School of Music, Florida Gulf Coast University
- Richard Ford, Composer
- Ted HammondTed HammondTed Hammond is an American veterinarian and amusement park consultant based in Asia. He is a founding member of the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine...
, Composer - Corey A. Jackson, Composer
- Carvin Knowles, Composer
- Anthony Lis, South Dakota State University
- Casey McClure, Internet Marketing Specialist, http://www.advancedacademics.com Advanced Academics, Inc.
- Stephen Sewell, Composer
- Paul Steinberg, Director of the Center for New Music Resources at Crane School
- Mark Wilder, Composer
- Blake Wilkins, University of Houston
- Stephen L. Yarbrough, University of South Dakota
The Michael Hennagin Prize in Composition
The Michael Hennagin Prize in Composition is awarded biennially by the University of Oklahoma.- 2005 Éric Champagne, Champ-de-Mars, par jour de lumière
- 2003 Christopher Palestrant, Lesbia Catulli
- 2001 Joseph Blaha, The Night Watch
- 1999 Dana Wilson, Primal Worlds