Leslie Bassett

Short bio Leslie Bassett

Birthday: 1923 in Hanford, CA

Died: 2016 in Flowery Branch, GA

Active: 1940s - 2000s

Genre: Classical

Period: Contemporary

Full biography Leslie Bassett

Leslie Bassett was an American composer known for his eclectic and richly-textured compositions. Born on January 22, 1923, in Hanford, California, Bassett studied music at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, and later at the University of Michigan where he earned his Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees in Music.

Bassett's musical style was characterized by a wide range of influences, from jazz to 20th-century avant-garde techniques. He was known for his proficiency in orchestration, and his works were often marked by complex rhythms, intricate harmonies, and rich instrumentation.

Throughout his career, Bassett composed for various musical genres, including orchestra, chamber music, choral music, and solo instruments. His notable works include "Echoes from an Invisible World," "Music for Viola and Cello," "Variations for Orchestra," and "Dialogues for Piano and Chamber Orchestra."

Leslie Bassett received numerous accolades for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1966 for his "Variations for Orchestra." He was also a recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, the Koussevitzky Music Foundation Commission, and the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship.

Leslie Bassett had a long and distinguished career, and his music continues to be performed and celebrated by musicians around the world. Bassett passed away on February 4, 2016, in Oakwood, Ohio, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most innovative and influential American composers of the 20th century.

Compositions featuring Leslie Bassett

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Song of the Aulos, for oboe	4:00 min	Chamber Music	2000
2	Concerto for alto saxophone & orchestra	17:52 min	Concerto	1999
3	Narratives, for guitar quartet	8:31 min	Chamber Music	1993
4	Concerto for orchestra	26:05 min	Orchestral	1991
5	Brass quintet	14:52 min	Chamber Music	1988
6	Configurations, for piano	11:13 min	Keyboard	1987
7	Dialogues for oboe & piano	14:54 min	Chamber Music	1987
8	Colors and contours, for band	8:33 min	Band Music	1985
9	Lullaby for Kirsten, for band	3:15 min	Band Music	1985
10	Duo Concertante for saxophone & piano	15:25 min	Chamber Music	1984
11	Preludes for piano	18:15 min	Keyboard	1984
12	Trio for clarinet, violin & piano	17:32 min	Chamber Music	1980
13	Sounds, Shapes and Symbols, for band	11:29 min	Band Music	1977
14	Echoes from an Invisible World, for orchestra	20:34 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1976
15	Soliloquies, for clarinet	6:50 min	Chamber Music	1976
16	Wind Music, for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon & alto saxophone	10:52 min	Chamber Music	1975
17	Sextet for piano & strings	21:11 min	Chamber Music	1972
18	Sounds Remembered, for violin & piano	16:06 min	Chamber Music	1972
19	Nonet, movements (2) for winds, brass & piano	12:45 min	Chamber Music	1968
20	Music for saxophone & piano	8:58 min	Chamber Music	1968
21	Elaborations, for piano	8:53 min	Keyboard	1966
22	Variations for orchestra	24:46 min	Orchestral	1962
23	Mobile, for piano		Keyboard	1961
24	Quartet, for 4 trombones	5:05 min	Chamber Music	1954
25	Sonata for horn & piano	11:12 min	Chamber Music	1954
26	Piano Pieces (6)	9:05 min	Keyboard	1951
27	Sonata for trombone & piano	9:14 min	Chamber Music	-
28	A Ring of Emeralds for chorus	14:01 min	Choral	-
29	Arias for clarinet & piano	11:51 min	Chamber Music	-
30	Thoughts that Sing, Breathe, and Burn, for orchestra	14:39 min	Orchestral	-
31	Temperaments, for guitar	11:13 min	Chamber Music	-
32	Suite for unaccompanied trombone	8:41 min	Chamber Music	-
33	Concerto Lirico, for trombone & orchestra	17:16 min	Concerto	-
34	Illuminations for flute & piano	12:55 min	Chamber Music	-
35	Music for cello & piano	10:25 min	Chamber Music	-

Albums featuring Leslie Bassett

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Leslie Bassett \| York Bowen, Jean-Michel Damase \| Sixten Sylvan, Ian Zook \| Eric Ruple – Musica Incognita(CD, Album)	2018	MSR Classics
2	Ticheli • Bassett • Bolcom • Middle Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble • Reed Thomas (2) – Angels In The Architecture	2011	Naxos
3	Joseph Schwantner, Stephen Michael Gryc, Leslie Bassett, Joseph Turrin, Nebojsa Zivkovic, The Hartt School Wind Ensemble • Glen Adsit – Passaggi(CD, Album)	2009	Naxos
4	Leslie Bassett, Gabriela Lena Frank, Wendolyn Olson – Music For Piano And Piano-Violin Duo(CD, Album)	2006	Equilibrium
5	Leslie Bassett, William Bolcom, Michael Daugherty, The University Of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Kiesler – Bassett Bolcom Daugherty(CD, )	2003	Equilibrium
6	Leslie Bassett, Ralph Shapey, William O. Smith, Harvey Sollberger, Robert Erickson, Andrew Imbrie, Robert Hall Lewis, Robert Morris (3) – New Music For Virtuosos(CD, Album)	1998	New World Records
7	Echoes From An Invisible World(CD, Compilation)	1994	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
8	Verdehr Trio, Bruch • Bassett • Hoag • Hoover – Trios For Violin, Clarinet And Piano(CD, )	1988	Leonarda Productions
9	Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Sergiu Comissiona - Lazarof / Bassett – Concerto For Orchestra / Echoes From An Invisible World(LP)	1980	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
10	Milton Babbitt / Leslie Bassett / William O. Smith / Charles Wuorinen – New Music For Virtuosos(LP, Album)	1977	New World Records
11	Ralph Sauer With Alan DeVeritch, Ronald Leonard, Paul Pitman - Milhaud, Persichetti, Bassett And Pergolesi – Ralph Sauer Plays Music For Trombone By Milhaud, Persichetti, Bassett And Pergolesi(LP, Album)	1976	Crystal Records (5)
12	Erb / Macdougall / Edwards / Leslie Bassett – Naumburg Award Winners(LP)	1975	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
13	Ross Lee Finney, Leslie Bassett – Second Sonata In C, Chromatic Fantasy In E/ Music For Violoncello And Piano(LP, Stereo)	1973	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
14	Meyer Kupferman / Leslie Bassett – Fantasy Sonata / Sounds Remembered(LP, Stereo)	1973	Desto
15	Richard Donovan, Polish National Radio Orchestra, Jan Krenz / Leslie Bassett, Radio Zürich Symphony Orchestra, Jonathan Sternberg – Passacaglia On Vermont Folk Tunes / Epos / Variations For Orchestra	1966	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
16	George Perle / Leslie Bassett – Quintet For Strings, Opus 35 / Trio For Clarinet, Viola And Piano	1961	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
17	Harry Sargous, William Bolcom, Lawrence Singer, Henry Cowell, Leslie Bassett, Robert Conway (3), The Toronto Sinfonietta, Carl St. Clair (2) – Première Oboe Works(CD, )	-	Crystal Records (5)