Collier, Ron(ald William)

Collier, Ron(ald William), Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, trombonist, and teacher; b. Coleman, near Lethridge, Alberta, July 3, 1930. He studied in Vancouver (1943–50), where he played trombone in the Kitsilano Boys’ Band. Following composition training with Gordon Delamont in Toronto (1951–54), he became the first jazz composer to receive a Canada Council grant, which allowed him to pursue studies with George Russell and Hall Overton in N.Y. (1961–62). He played trombone in dance bands and orchs., and eventually led his own jazz groups and big band. In 1972 he became composer-in-residence at Humber Coll. in Toronto, where he taught composition and arranging from 1974. Collier was a principal figure in the Third Stream movement in Canada.

Works

Sonata for Piano and Jazz Quintet (c. 1955); The City for Narrator-Singer and Orch. (1960); Requiem for JFK for Big Band (1964); Hear Me Talkiri to Ya for Narrator-Singer and Octet (1964; in collaboration with Don Francks); Aurora Borealis, ballet (1966); Carneval for Narrator, Flugelhorn, and Orch. (1969); Celebration for Piano and Orch. (1972; in collaboration with Duke Ellington); Humber Suite for Big Band (1973); Jupiter for Big Band (1974); Reflections on 3 for Wind Sym. (1980); Never in Nevis for Big Band (1983); 4 Kisses for Big Band (1983); To Prussia with Love and a Little Jive for Jazz Ensemble (1988); also film and television scores; arrangements.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire