Regina Hansen Willman Explained

Regina Kastberg Hansen Willman (October 5, 1914 – October 28, 1965) was an American composer, born in Burns, Wyoming.^[1] She married Allan Arthur Willman^[2] in 1942; they divorced in 1956, but remained close throughout her life. Willman received a B.M. from the University of Wyoming in 1945, and a M.M. from the University of New Mexico in 1961. She studied with Darius Milhaud at Mills College, Roy Harris at Colorado College,^[3] and pursued further studies at the University of California, Berkeley, the Juilliard School, the Sorbonne, and the Lausanne Conservatory.^[4] Willman was the resident composer of the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, New Mexico, from 1956–57 and 1960-61. Her papers are archived at the University of Wyoming.^[5]

Works

Regina Willman's compositions include:

Ballet

• Doves (piano)
• Legend of the Willow Plate (1949; chamber orchestra)

Orchestra

• Anchorage Symphony
• Design for Orchestra 1 (1948)
• Design for Orchestra 2 (1953)^[6]

Piano

• Little Tailor Suite
• Steel Mill (1941; two pianos)^[7]
• Three Compositions for Piano

Theatre

• Music for Medea (text by Euripides)

Vocal

• Ante Vero Longam (1961; tenor solo, men's chorus, oboe, and piano; text by Lambertus)
• Apres le Deluge (1961; high voice and piano; text by Arthur Rimbaud)
• First Holy Sonnet (voice and string trio; text by John Donne)^[8]
• O Sleep Now (1956; medium voice and piano)
• Vocalise (voices and low strings)

Notes and References

1. Book: Hixon, Donald L.. Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. 1993. Scarecrow Press. Hennessee, Don A.. 0-8108-2769-7. 2nd. Metuchen, N.J.. 28889156.
2. Book: Pool, Jeannie G.. American composer Zenobia Powell Perry : race and gender in the 20th century. Perry, Zenobia Powell. 2009. 978-0-8108-6376-7. Lanham, Md. 239233280.
3. Book: Pfitzinger, Scott. Composer genealogies : a compendium of composers, their teachers, and their students. March 2017. 978-1-4422-7225-5. Lanham, Maryland. 961457738.
4. Book: Cohen, Aaron I.. International encyclopedia of women composers. 1987. 0-9617485-2-4. Second edition, revised and enlarged. New York. 16714846.
5. Web site: Results for 'au:Willman, Regina,' [WorldCat.org]]. 2020-08-05. www.worldcat.org. en.
6. Book: Division, New York Public Library Music. Bibliographic Guide to Music. 1981. G. K. Hall.. 978-0-8161-6961-0. en.
7. Book: Phi, Phi Kappa. Phi Kappa Phi Journal. 1941. Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. en.
8. Book: Stewart-Green, Miriam.. Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice. 1980. G.K. Hall. 0-8161-8498-4. Boston, Mass.. 6815939.