Name Hubert Headley Role Composer | Died 1996 | |
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Education Eastman School of Music, University of the Pacific | ||
Hubert Klyne Headley (1906–1996) was an American composer, pianist and organist.
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Early life and education
Headley was born in West Virginia in 1906. When he was six his mother, an organist, moved the family to California. At ten years old he was introduced to Maurice Ravel, whose music had a strong effect on him. He studied music at the University of the Pacific, graduating in 1928, and then at the Eastman School of Music until 1937.
Career
From 1939 to 1954 Headley taught at the University of Santa Barbara. During that time he succeeded Maurice Faulkner as conductor of the University of California Symphony Orchestra in Santa Barbara, becoming known both as a composer and as a pianist and giving concerts in which he conducted his own works, for example in Paris, London, Budapest and Prague. After 1954 he moved to Seattle to teach at the Cornish School of Applied Arts.
Death and legacy
After a short period in Seattle, Headley moved to Vancouver. He also moved to Sudbury, Ontario, Canada where he developed the music program at Cambrian College in the late 60's and early 70's. He left for Vancouver where he remained until his death. His music is today virtually unknown, and many of his works are lost. In 2006 his music resurfaced by accident. Robert Buckley, one of his students, and Stan MacDaniel took joint responsibility for the recordings of his music in 2007.
In 2006, for the 100th anniversary of Headley's birth, Russian State TV performed several of its compositions, including the California Suite, conducted by Dmitry Yablonsky, a conductor who has focussed on bringing forgotten or unknown music to audiences. After this, the Naxos record label published a CD of Headley's music in an "American Classics" series.
Compositions (selection)
- Golden Gate
- Yosemite
- Fiesta