Hellermann, William (David)

Hellermann, William (David), American composer and guitarist; b. Milwaukee, July 15, 1939. He studied mechanical engineering at the Univ. of Wise. (B.S., 1962) and composition at Columbia Univ. (M.A., 1969; D.M.A., 1976), his principal mentors being Wolpe, Chou Wen-chung, Luening, and Ussachevsky. From 1966 to 1972 he was on the music faculty at Columbia Univ. He also held a composer’s fellowship to the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood (summer, 1967) and the Prix de Rome fellowship to the American Academy in Rome (1972). In 1977 he was composer-in-residence at the Center for the Creative and Performing Arts at the State Univ. of N.Y. at Buffalo. As a guitarist, he has been especially active as a proponent of contemporary music. His compositions are thoroughly modern in range and utilization of resources. He has become particularly well known for his creations in the realm of music sculpture.

Works

dramatic:Parts Sequences 1 for an Open Space for 4 Musicians, 4 Actors, 4 Dancers, and 4 Sets (N.Y., March 24, 1972); Extraordinary Histories, experimental opera (N.Y, April 28, 1982); 3 Sisters Who Are Not Sisters, theater piece (1984; Barcelona, Oct. 23, 1985); Blood on the Dining Room Floor, theater piece (N.Y, Nov. 21, 1991). ORCH.: Time and Again (1969; Utrecht, Sept. 14, 1970); “anyway…” (Greenwich, Conn., March 22, 1977). CHAMBER: Formata for Trombone and 4 Instruments (1967); Ek- stasis II for Timpani, Piano, and Tape (1970); Round and About for 2 or More Instruments (1970); Circle Music 1 for 4 Instruments, 2 for 2 or More Instruments, and 3 for 6 Performers (all 1971); Passages 13: The Fire for Trumpet and Tape (1971); Distances/Embraces for Guitar (1972); On the Vanishing Point for Piano and Tape Delay (1973); Stop/Start for 2 Soloists and 6 Players (1973); Long Island Sound for 4 Instruments (1974); To the Last Drop for 6 Vibraphones (1974); “But, the moon…” for Guitar and 13 Instruments (Paris, March 13, 1975); Still and All for Guitar (1975); Experimental Music for Variable Instruments (1975); To Brush Up On for 6 Cellos (1976); 2 Vibraphones for 2 Vibraphones (1976); Squeek for Soloist (1977); Tremble for Guitar (1978); 3 Weeks in Cincinnati in December for Flute (1979); The Violin Between Us for Violin (1981); Tremble II for Double Bass (1981); On the Vanishing Point for 4 Instruments (1989); Post/Pone for Guitar, Clarinet, Viola, Trombine, and Piano (1990). piano:Row Music (Tip of the Iceberg) (1973); For Otto (A Line in Return) (1974); At Sea (1976). VOCAL: Entrances for Chorus (1976); Local Exits for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (1976); Nests for Soloist and Chorus (1976); City Games for 3 Vocalists, Tape, and Sculpture (1978); Sheet Music for Soloist and Synthesizer (1984). OTHER: Ariel for Tape (1967); Juicy Music for Tape and Sculpture (1982); El Ropo for Keyboard, Tape, and Sculpture (1984); 1 Bar Blues for Tape and Sculpture (1984).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire