Flynn, George (William)

Flynn, George (William), American composer and teacher; b. Miles City, Mont., Jan. 21, 1937. He studied with Ussachevsky, Beeson, and Luening at Columbia Univ. (D.M.A., 1972). After serving on its faculty (1966–73), he taught at City Coll. of the City Univ. of N.Y. (1973–76). In 1977 he became chair of the musicianship and composition dept. at DePaul Univ. in Chicago. In 1988 he founded New Music DePaul, a professional new music perf. series, which he subsequently led as director. His music is of a quaquaversal nature, disdaining nothing and absorbing anything of modernistic applicability.

Works

DRAMATIC B a l l e t : Mrs. Brown (1965). ORCH.: 2 syms.: No. 1, Music for Orchestra (1966) and No. 2 (Chicago, May 19, 1981); Lammy for Strings (1973); Javeh (1973); Meditations, Praises (Chicago, June 20, 1981); Lost and Found for Youth Orch. (1984); A Reign of Love for Orch. and Narrator (1992); The Density of Memory for Clarinet Trio and Orch. (Chicago, April 16, 1997); American City for Piano and Wind Ensemble (Chicago, Nov. 7, 1998); Winter Dusk for Strings (1999); Rita’s Dance (2000). CHAMBER: Piano Quartet (1963); So/o and Duos for Violin and Piano (1964); Wind Quintet (1965; rev. 1983); 4 Pieces for Violin and Piano (1965); Duo for Clarinet and Piano (1966); Duo for Trumpet and Piano (1974); Duo for Viola and Piano (1974); American Rest for Clarinet, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1975; rev. 1982); American Festivals and Dreams for String Quartet (1976); Winter Landscape, duo for Cello and Piano (1977; rev. 1998); Celebration for Violin and Piano (1980); Saxophone Quartet (1980); 4 Fantasy-Etudes for Violin (1981); Diversion for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1984); American Summer for Piano Trio (1986); ’Til Death for Violin and Piano (1988); Who Shall Inherit the Earth? for Clarinet, Violin, and 2 Pianos (1989); Forms of Flight for Clarinet (1991); The Streets Are Empty for Saxophone Quartet (1992). KEYBOARD : Piano : Fuguing (1962); 4 Preludes (1965); Fantasy No. 1 (1966) and No. 2 (1980–82); Music for Piano, 4-Hands (1966); Trinity, cycle (Wound, 1968, Kanal, 1976, and Salvage, 1993); Pieces of Night (American Nocturnes) (1986–89); American Icon (1988); Toward the Light (1991); Dems Simples (1995). Harpsichord : Drive (1973). VOCAL: Tirades and Dreams for Actress, Soprano, and Chamber Orch. (1972); Songs of Destruction for Soprano and Piano (1973–74); (6) American Songs for Chorus, Horn, and Piano (1983–84); St. Vincent’ Words for Chorus, 8 Brasses, and 2 String Basses (1995); choruses. OTHER: Electronic pieces.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire