Lambro, Phillip

Lambro, Phillip, American composer, conductor, and pianist; b. Wellesley Hills, Mass., Sept. 2, 1935. He began his training in Boston, where he made his debut as a pianist in 1952, and after further studies in Miami (1953–55), he received a scholarship in 1955 to complete his training at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara with György Sandor (piano) and Donald Pond (composition). Lambro’s works have been performed by various major American orchs., and have also been performed abroad. He has also composed and conducted music for several films, including the documentaries Energy on the Move and Mineral King. As a composer, Lambro is basically autodidact. He learned the art of composition mainly by analyzing the various periods and styles in music, from the Renaissance to the contemporary era. All the same, he developed his own individual means of expression to extend the pathway of valid and divergent statements. Lambro believes in the existence of Elohim Extraterrestrials “who created mankind in a laboratory” To maintain his health, he practices the Japanese Zen Macrobiotic diet and way of life.

Works

Miraflores for String Orch. (1955); Dance Barbaro for Percussion (1958–60); Toccata for Piano (1963–65); 2 Pictures for Solo Percussionist and Orch. (1965–66); 4 Songs for Soprano and Orch. (1966–67); Music for Wind, Brass, and Percussion (1969); Toccata for Guitar (1969); Structures for String Orch. (1969–70); Parallelograms for Flute Quartet and Jazz Ensemble (1969–75); Obelisk for Oboist and Percussionist (1970); Fanfare and Tower Music for Brass Quintet (1971); Trumpet Voluntary (1972); Biospheres for 6 Percussionists (1973); Night Pieces for Piano (1973); 3 Little Trigrams for Piano (1979).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire