Watts, John (Everett)

Watts, John (Everett), American composer and synthesizer player; b. Cleveland, Term., July 16,1930; d. N.Y, July 1,1982. He was educated at the Univ. of Term. (B.A., 1949), the Univ. of Colo. (M.M., 1953), the Univ. of 111. (1955-56), Cornell Univ. (1958-60), and the Univ. of Calif, at Los Angeles (1961-62); among his mentors were David Van Vactor, Cecil Effinger, Burrill Phillips, Robert Palmer, and Roy Harris. He was founder-director of the Composers Theatre in N.Y. (1964-82), which presented a vast number of works by American composers; taught at the New School for Social Research in N.Y. (from 1967), where he was founder-director of its electronic music program (from 1969); he made many appearances as a virtuoso on the ARP synthesizer.

Works

instrumental and/or vocal: Piano Sonata (1958; rev. 1960); Signals for Soprano and Orch. (1970); Piano for Te for Piano, 13 Players, and Tape (1973); Laugharne for Soprano, Tape, and Orch. (1974); Mots d’heures: Gousses, Rames for Voices and Tape (1974); Piano for Te Tutti for Piano and Tape (1975); Maxi- concerto (1976); Canonades for Strings (1978); Keepsakes for Tape and Orch. (1978); Le Match de Boxe (1978); Barbro Variations for Piano, 4-Hands (1979); Easy Songs for Lazy Singers (1981). ELECTRONIC: WARP for Brass Quintet, Synthesizer, and Tape (1971); Elegy to Chimney: in memoriam for Trumpet, Synthesizer, and Tape (1972); MAS (1976); Entectics for Tape and Synthesizer (1978); Processional for Tape and 10 Trumpets (1978); A Little Night Music (1979); Timespace for Tape (1979); Ach! for Tape and Optional Synthesizer (1980). Dance Scores: Study for Solo Figure/Film (1968); Perimeters (1969); Glass and Shadows (1971); Lauras Dance (1971); Margins (1972); Still Life (1972); Locrian (1973); Songan-dance (1973); BUD (1975) (1975); Heirlooms (1977); #SS (1977); UPS (1977); Entries (1978); GO (1978); Night Remembrance (1979). OTHER: Film scores; conceptual art.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire