William Colvig
Encyclopedia
William Colvig (1917–2000) was an electrician
and amateur
musician
who was the partner for 33 years of composer
Lou Harrison
, whom he met in San Francisco, California
in 1967. Colvig helped construct the so-called "American gamelan
" used in works such as the puppet
opera
Young Caeser [sic] (1971), La Koro Sutro (1972), and the Suite for Violin and American Gamelan (1974).
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
and amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who was the partner for 33 years of 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...
Lou Harrison
Lou Harrison
Lou Silver Harrison was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison...
, whom he met in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
in 1967. Colvig helped construct the so-called "American gamelan
American gamelan
American gamelan could refer to both instruments and music; the term has been used to refer to gamelan-style instruments built by Americans, as well as to music written by American composers to be played on gamelan instruments...
" used in works such as the puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
Young Caeser [sic] (1971), La Koro Sutro (1972), and the Suite for Violin and American Gamelan (1974).
Films
- 1986 - Lou Harrison : "cherish, conserve, consider, create." Directed by Eric Marin.
- 1995 - Musical Outsiders: An American Legacy - Harry Partch, Lou Harrison, and Terry Riley. Directed by Michael Blackwood.
Sources
- Brett Campbell, "Hail Caesar! Harrison Opera's Epic Quest", accessed July 7, 2010
- Maria Cizmic, "Composing the Pacific", accessed July 7, 2010
- Patrick Gardner, "Lou Harrison: La Koro Sutro", Providence Singers, accessed July 7, 2010
- Anthony Linick, The Lives of Ingolf Dahl (Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2008)
External links
- NewMusicBox News: April 2000 John Luther AdamsJohn Luther AdamsJohn Luther Adams is a composer whose music is inspired by nature, especially the landscapes of Alaska where he has lived since 1978.-Biography:...
Remembers William Colvig - Article about William Colvig