Alfred Reed Explained

Birth Date:25 January 1921
Birth Place:Manhattan New York City, New York
Occupation:Composer
Genre:Classical
Death Place:Miami, Florida

Alfred Friedman (better known as Alfred Reed) (January 25, 1921  - September 17, 2005) was an American neoclassical composer, with more than two hundred published works for concert band, orchestra, chorus, and chamber ensemble to his name. He also traveled extensively as a guest conductor, performing in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.[1] [2]

Life

Alfred Friedemann von Mark was born on January 25, 1921 in Manhattan New York City, the son of Austrian immigrants Carl Friedemann von Mark and Elizabeth Strasser. He began his formal music training at the age of ten studying cornet at the New York Schools of Music.[3] In 1938, he started working in the Radio Workshop in New York as a staff composer/arranger and assistant conductor.

During World War II, he served in the 529th US Army Air Force Corps as arranger and composer where he wrote band scores for almost 100 compositions and arrangements. Following his military service, he attended the Juilliard School of Music, studying under Vittorio Giannini, after which he was staff composer and arranger first for NBC and then for ABC. In 1953, he became the conductor of the Baylor Symphony Orchestra at Baylor University, where he received his Bachelor's of Music in 1955 and his Master's of Music in 1956. His master's thesis, Rhapsody for Viola and Orchestra, was awarded the Luria Prize in 1959. [4] He was a member of the Beta Tau chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music.

From 1955 to 1966, he was the executive editor of Hansen Publications, a music publisher. He was professor of music at the University of Miami, where he worked with composer Clifton Williams from 1966 until the latter's death in 1976. Williams' office was across the hall from Reed's office in the University of Miami School of Music, and Reed was chairman of the department of Music Media and Industry and director of the Music Industry Program at the time of his retirement in 1993 after 27 years. He established the first college-level music business curriculum at the University of Miami in 1966, which led other colleges and universities to follow suit. At the time of his death, he had composition commissions that would have taken him 31 years. Many of Reed's wind band compositions have been released as CD recordings by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.

Works and arrangements

Works for concert band

Works for orchestra

Works for choir and orchestra

Chamber music

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Camus, Raoul F. . The Grove Dictionary of American Music . . 2013 . Garrett . Charles H. . 2nd . Reed [Friedman], Alfred . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.47057.
  2. Book: A Composer's Insight: Thoughts, Analysis, and Commentary on Contemporary Masterpieces for Wind Bands . . 2003 . 978-0-6340-5827-1 . Salzman . Timothy . 1 . 119–130 . Alfred Reed . 52398921.
  3. Book: Jordan, Douglas M. . Alfred Reed: a Bio-bibliography . . 1999 . 978-0-313-30333-3 . 469472370.
  4. News: Famed BU Music Graduate Alfred Reed Dies . September 19, 2005 . Baylor University.
  5. "Tri-State Musicians Begin Arriving for 4-Day Affair." Enid (OK) Daily Eagle, 9 May 1956, 1, 12.