Ashforth, Alden (Banning)

Ashforth, Alden (Banning), American composer, teacher, and writer on music; b. N.Y., May 13, 1933. He attended Oberlin (Ohio) Coll. (A.B., 1958) and studied composition with Joseph Wood and Richard Hoffmann at its Cons. (Mus.B., 1958); subsequently took courses with Sessions, Babbitt, and Kim at Princeton Univ. (M.F.A., 1960; Ph.D., 1971). He taught at Princeton Univ. (1961), Oberlin Coll. (1961–65), N.Y.U. (1965–66), the City Coll. of the City Univ. of N.Y. (1966–67), and the Univ. of Calif. at Los Angeles (from 1967). He was active as a jazz researcher and as a recorder /producer of many jazz recordings; also contributed articles to the Annual Review of Jazz Studies and to The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz.

Works

DRAMATIC: The Quintessential Zymurgistic Waffle, musical comedy (1975; in collaboration with P. Reale). ORCH.: Variations (1958). CHAMBER: Piano Sonata (1955); Sonata for Flute and Harpsichord (1956); Fantasy-Variations for Violin and Piano (1959); Episodes, chamber concerto for 8 Instruments (1962–68); Pas seul for Flute (1974); The Flowers of Orcus (Intavolatura) for Guitar (1976); St. Bride’s Suite for Harpsichord (1983); other piano pieces. VOCAL: The Unquiet Heart for Soprano and Chamber Orch. or Piano (1959–68); choral pieces; songs. electronic:Cycles (1965); Mixed Brew (1968); Byzantia: 2 Journeys after Yeats for Organ and Tape (1971–73).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire