Read, Gardner 1913–2005
Read, Gardner 1913–2005
OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born January 2, 1913, in Evanston, IL; died of complications from pneumonia, November 10, 2005, in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. Composer, educator, and author. Read, who taught for many years at Boston University, was a highly regarded composer of symphonies and other pieces for orchestra, piano, organ, and voice. Completing a B.Mus. in 1936 and an M.Mus. in 1937 from the Eastman School of Music, he also studied in Italy under Ildebrando Pizzetti, in Finland under Jan Sibelius, and in America under Aaron Copland. During the 1940s, he headed the musical composition department at the St. Louis Institute of Music, followed by the Kansas City Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. He joined the Boston University faculty in 1948 as professor of composition and music theory and composer-in-residence, and remained there until his 1978 retirement. In addition to his many musical compositions, Read published several books on music, including Contemporary Instrumental Techniques (1976), 20th-Century Microtonal Notation (1990), and Orchestral Combinations (2002).
OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
America's Intelligence Wire, December 9, 2005.
Guardian (London, England), November 23, 2005, p. 30.
New York Times, November 13, 2005, p. A43.