Olly Wilson

The only description of Olly Wilson’s works in a single major reference source simply declares, “Wilson pulls freely upon avant-garde styles and techniques in his music, showing a predilection for unorthodox formal procedures and instrumental combinations.” What this won’t point out can be that Wilson’s wide-ranging design and technique will be the natural consequence of his varied musical history: playing jazz and orchestra music appropriately, working with digital music throughout a revitalizing early phase of this movement, and learning African music throughout a 1971 Guggenheim fellowship to Western Africa. Created in St. Louis, Wilson performed jazz piano in his city, aswell as bass in St. Louis orchestras. He acquired his bachelor’s in music from Washington College or university in St. Louis in 1959, his master’s through the College or university of Illinois in 1960, and his PhD through the College or university of Iowa in 1964. His structure educators included Robert Wykes, Robert Kelley, and Phillip Bezanson. Wilson do postdoctoral research in digital music in 1967 in the College or university of Illinois Studio room for Experimental Music, and twelve months later his digital structure Cetus garnered him a reward in the 1st International Electronic Music Competition. He continued to write not merely digital pieces, but functions for chamber ensembles and orchestra aswell. Commissions originated from the Dark Music Repertory Outfit, NY Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and Boston Musica Viva. In the 1960s Wilson trained at Florida A&M College or university as well as the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, however in 1970 he resolved for the others of his educational career in to the College or university of California at Berkeley. He received Guggenheim fellowships to Western Africa in 1971 as well as the American Academy in Rome in 1977; the entire year 1991 discovered him in Italy once again, because of a residency in the Rockefeller Foundation Middle in Bellagio.