Guion, David (Wendell Fentress)

views updated

Guion, David (Wendell Fentress)

Guion, David (Wendell Fentress), American composer and teacher; b. Ballinger, Tex., Dec. 15, 1892;d. Dallas, Oct. 17, 1981. He studied piano with Godowsky in Vienna, but was autodidact in composition. He then held various teaching posts in Tex., and was active in collecting and arranging American folk songs. His best known work was his version of Home on the Range (1930). Among his other works were the African ballet suite, Shingandi (1929), several orch. suites, including Texas (1952), piano pieces, and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire