| John Verrall | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 17, 1908 |
| Died | April 15, 2001 |
| Genres | contemporary classical music |
John Weedon Verrall (June 17, 1908 – April 15, 2001) was an American composer of contemporary classical music.
Life
Prior to his University studies, Verrall studied composition with Donald Ferguson, followed by studies with R. O. Morris in London and Zoltán Kodály in Budapest. He obtained a BM degree from the Minneapolis School of Music in 1929, and a BA from the University of Minnesota in 1934. In the early 1930s he spent several summers at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, where he studied composition with Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, and Frederick Jacobi. He taught at Hamline University from 1934 to 1942 and Mount Holyoke College from 1942 to 1946, during which time he briefly served in the U.S. Army during the World War II era. While teaching at Mount Holyoke College, Verall also worked as a music editor for G. Schirmer. In 1946 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 1948 he joined the music faculty at the University of Washington, where he taught composition and music theory until he retired as professor emeritus in 1973. Several of Verrall's students have gone on to have successful careers, including William Bolcom, Alan Stout, and Gloria Wilson Swisher. See: List of music students by teacher: T to Z#John Verrall.
Compositions
Verrall wrote numerous symphonic works and chamber music pieces including four symphonies, seven string quartets, a violin concerto, and a viola concerto, among many other works. He also wrote several vocal art songs, choral works, and three operas. He also wrote a composition for carillon in 1966.
Personal life
His wife was named Margaret. He died of congestive heart failure at his home in Laurelhurst, Seattle, Washington, at the age of 92.
The John Verrall Papers are held by the Special Collections department of the University of Washington Libraries.
References
- "John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation 1946 Fellows Page". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
- "Prelude & Fughetta". American Composers Alliance. January 1966. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
- "John Verrall, composer, teacher". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- "John Verrall papers – Special Collections, UW Libraries". Retrieved 23 November 2014.
Sources
- Richard Swift. The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (1992). ISBN 0-333-73432-7 and ISBN 1-56159-228-5
External links
- John Verrall obituary
- John Verrall page
- Interview with John Verrall, March 12, 1988
- 1908 births
- 2001 deaths
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 20th-century American classical composers
- American expatriates in the United Kingdom
- American opera composers
- Classical musicians from Iowa
- Classical musicians from Washington (state)
- Composers for carillon
- Hamline University faculty
- American male opera composers
- Musicians from Seattle
- Mount Holyoke College faculty
- People from Britt, Iowa
- Pupils of Aaron Copland
- Pupils of Zoltán Kodály
- United States Army soldiers
- University of Minnesota alumni
- University of Washington faculty