Wayne B. Barlow American composer Date of Birth: 06.09.1912 Country: USA

Biography of Wayne Barlow

Wayne Barlow was an American composer, specialist in contemporary classical music, professor, choir director, and organist. He was known for his religious music, compositions for choirs, and symphony orchestras. Barlow earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he specialized in composition and music theory. In 1937, he became the first American to receive a doctorate in composition. He also studied with Arnold Schoenberg in California and Myron Schaeffer at the University of Toronto.

From 1937 to 1978, Barlow served as the director of the Eastman School of Music. From 1968 to 1978, he also led the Electronic Music Studio, and from 1973 to 1978, he headed the local graduate program. From 1978 to 1996, Barlow held the position of honorary professor of composition. He successfully mentored a number of outstanding musicians, including James Cohn, Lucrecia Kasilag, Samuel Jones, Robert Jordahl, Norma Wendelburg, Martin Mailman, Charles Carter, Warner Hutchison, Raymond Helble, Don Freund, Robert Mols, Michael Miller, Edwin Childs, and Richard Lane.

Barlow was actively involved in giving lectures on various topics such as electronic music, secrets of acoustics, 20th-century composition, and the works of American composer Charles Ives. In 1955, he served as a senior lecturer at the University of Copenhagen, the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, and Aarhus University for a year.

One of Barlow's most famous works is the concerto for oboe and orchestra, 'The Winter's Passed'. He received several awards throughout his career, including multiple prizes from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. Wayne Barlow passed away on December 17, 1996, at the age of 84.