Slawson, Wayne

Slawson, Wayne , American composer and music theorist; b. Detroit, Dec. 29, 1932. He studied at the Univ. of Mich. (B.A. in mathematics, 1955; M.A. in composition, 1959) and Harvard Univ. (Ph.D. in psychoacoustics, 1965). He was a computer programmer and systems analyst with the U.S. Air Force, the Rand Corp. in Santa Monica, Calif. (1955–57), and the Mitre Corp. in Bedford, Mass. (1959–62), specializing in speech synthesis. He taught at Yale Univ. (1967–72), the Univ. of Pittsburgh (1972–86; prof. from 1984), and the Univ. of Calif, at Davis (from 1986), where he directed the Computer and Electronic Music Studio. He composed MUCH, electronic music from various sources, with Robert Morris (1971–74); developed the music and speech synthesis programs MUSE (1961) and SYNTAL (1969–89); publ, numerous articles on theory and psychoacoustics, his monograph Sound Color (Berkeley, 1985) seeking to systematize timbre for analytical and compositional purposes.

Works

ORCH .: Motions (1973). CHAMBER : 5 Turns for 10for Variable Ensemble (1970); Pieces for String Quartet (1970; rev. and aug. as Limits, 1977); Reflections for Cello and Piano (1975; rev. and aug. as Rereflections, 1988); Variations for 2 Violins (1977); Triad for Clarinet, Horn, and Cello (1984); Quick Trick for String Quartet (1987); Interpolation of Dance for String Quartet (1992). VOCAL : Music for an Ordination for Organ and Chorus (1963); Pity…Not for Chorus (1974); Omaggio a Petrarca for Chorus (1975); Minglings for Men’s Chorus (1976); Warm Shades, octet for Singers and Woodwinds (1993). computer: Colors (1981); Greetings (1985); Quatrains Miniatures I-V (1985); Swapper I (1989; rev. and aug. as If These 2 Tolled, 1990). tape: Wishful Thinking about Winter (1967); Death, Love, and the Maiden (1975); poor flesh and trees, poor stars and stones (1977).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire