Short bio William Albright
Full biography William Albright
William Albright was an American composer, organist, and pianist born on October 20, 1944, who was known for his composition of ragtime music for the organ. He received his education from the University of Michigan, studying composition with Ross Lee Finney, among others. Albright's early work focused on atonal and experimental music, but he later turned to the rediscovery of ragtime, particularly its use in classical music. He was commissioned to write his organ work "Stipendium Peccati" in 1978 ), and from there, he produced more works for the organ, including his "Ragtime Concerto" and "Ragtime Dances."
Tragically, William Albright passed away on September 17, 1998, at the age of 53. His death was mourned by the music community; many composers wrote pieces in his memory, including William Bolcom, who was Albright's friend and colleague, and collaborated with him in writing rags.
Overall, William Albright was a gifted composer and performer, known for his eclectic style and his love for ragtime music. His legacy lives on through his music and the memories of those who knew and loved him.
Compositions featuring William Albright
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Postcard from Kansas: Welcome to Interstate-70, for saxophone & piano | 3:17 min | Chamber Music | 1997 |
| 2 | Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland, for organ | 2:45 min | Keyboard | 1997 |
| 3 | Pit Band, for alto saxophone, bass clarinet & piano | 9:01 min | Chamber Music | 1993 |
| 4 | Fantasy Etudes, for saxophone quartet | 25:07 min | Chamber Music | 1993 |
| 5 | Flights of Fancy: ballet for organ | 29:15 min | Ballet | 1991 |
| 6 | Abiding Passions, for wind quintet | 16:18 min | Chamber Music | 1988 |
| 7 | Symphony for organ | 28:48 min | Keyboard | 1986 |
| 8 | Sphaera for piano & tape | 12:56 min | Keyboard | 1985 |
| 9 | Carillon-Bombarde, for organ | 4:45 min | Keyboard | 1985 |
| 10 | Chasm, for organ & timpani | 9:43 min | Keyboard | 1985 |
| 11 | In Memoriam for organ | 6:04 min | Keyboard | 1983 |
| 12 | That Sinking Feeling, Morceau de concours for organ | 5:11 min | Keyboard | 1982 |
| 13 | Jericho: Battle Music for trumpet & organ | 15:16 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | 1981 |
| 14 | Fancies (4), No. 4, Danza ostinata, for harpsichord | 5:29 min | Keyboard | 1979 |
| 15 | Fancies (4) for harpsichord | 12:00 min | Keyboard | 1979 |
| 16 | The King of Instruments, a parade of music & verse for organ & narrator | 18:19 min | Keyboard | 1978 |
| 17 | Heater: saga for alto saxophone & band | 8:47 min | Band Music | 1977 |
| 18 | Chromatic Dances (5), for piano | 29:43 min | Keyboard | 1976 |
| 19 | Sweet Sixteenths, concert rag for organ | 4:34 min | Keyboard | 1974 |
| 20 | Burnt Fingers, rag for piano | 4:52 min | Keyboard | 1969 |
| 21 | Grand sonata in rag, for piano | 16:52 min | Keyboard | 1968 |
| 22 | Brass Knuckles, for piano (from Three Novelty Rags) | 3:39 min | Keyboard | 1968 |
| 23 | The Queen of Sheba, slow drag and stomp for piano | 6:25 min | Keyboard | 1968 |
| 24 | Onion Skin, rag for piano | 3:04 min | Keyboard | 1967 |
| 25 | Organbook I | 19:54 min | Keyboard | 1967 |
| 26 | On the Lamb, rag for piano | 3:26 min | Keyboard | 1967 |
| 27 | Pneuma for organ | 8:31 min | Keyboard | 1966 |
| 28 | Pianoagogo, for piano | 6:26 min | Keyboard | 1965 |
| 29 | The Enigma Syncopations, No. 1, Introduction and Vamp | 5:27 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 30 | The Dream Rags, for piano | 20:24 min | Keyboard | - |
| 31 | The Enigma Syncopations, for organ & percussion, No. 2, Torch Song | 6:06 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 32 | The Enigma Syncopations, for organ & percussion, No. 3, Stomp | 3:58 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 33 | Sweet Sixteenths for piano | 4:51 min | Keyboard | - |
| 34 | The Sleepwalker's Shuffle | 4:34 min | Miscellaneous (Classical) | - |
| 35 | Song to David, oratorio in 5 parts | 70:53 min | Choral | - |
| 36 | Sonata for alto saxophone & piano | 19:29 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 37 | Sleight-Of-Hand Rag | 3:31 min | Keyboard | - |
| 38 | Scott Joplin's Victory, for piano | 8:21 min | Keyboard | - |
| 39 | Quintet for clarinet & string quartet | 31:29 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 40 | Organbook III | 29:35 min | Keyboard | - |
| 41 | Novelty Rags (3), for piano | Keyboard | - | |
| 42 | Nightmare Fantasy Rag, for piano | 10:11 min | Keyboard | - |
| 43 | Look There! The Christ, Our Brother Comes, for chorus | 2:30 min | Choral | - |
| 44 | Jig for the Feet (Totentanz) | 2:46 min | Keyboard | - |
| 45 | Father, We Thank Thee (Albright) | 4:17 min | Choral | - |
| 46 | Doo-Dah for three saxophones | 10:58 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 47 | Chichester Mass | 9:45 min | Choral | - |
| 48 | Behemoth Two-Step, for piano | 3:53 min | Keyboard | - |
Albums featuring William Albright
| # | Сover | Name album | Year | Music label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Robert Satterlee, Frederic Rzewski, William Albright – Robert Satterlee, Piano(CD, Album) | 2014 | Blue Griffin Recording |
| 2 |  |
Brave New Works (2), William Albright, William Bolcom – Quintets(CD, ) | 2008 | AMP Recordings (2) |
| 3 |  |
PRISM Quartet, William Albright – Music For Saxophones(CD, Album) | 2007 | Innova Recordings |
| 4 |  |
University Of Iowa Center For New Music, Albright, Daugherty, Davidovsky, Gompper, Rands, Zahler – Twentieth-Century American Music(CD, Album) | 2006 | Capstone Records |
| 5 |  |
William Eddins, Ludwig van Beethoven, William Albright – Bad Boy Vol. One(CD, Album) | 2003 | Ahkenation Productions Inc. |
| 6 |  |
Nicola Melville, William Albright – The Piano Rags Of William Albright(CD, Album) | 2002 | Equilibrium |
| 7 |  |
Albright • Dinerstein • Hamer • Silsbee – Eastman American Music Series Volume 3(CD, Album) | 1997 | Albany Records |
| 8 |  |
William Albright - Thomas Warburton – The Piano Music Of William Albright(CD, Album, Reissue) | 1996 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 9 |  |
William Albright, Christopher Smart (2) – A Song To David(CD, ) | 1994 | Gothic Records (5) |
| 10 |  |
Marches, Waltzes & Rags Of Scott Joplin (The Complete Piano Music, Vol. II)(CD, Album) | 1993 | Musicmasters |
| 11 |  |
Scott Joplin, William Albright – The Complete Rags Of Scott Joplin | 1990 | Musical Heritage Society |
| 12 |  |
Sierra Wind Quintet, William Albright, Barney Childs, Alvin Etler, Mel Powell – A Box Of Views(CD, Stereo) | 1989 | Cambria |
| 13 |  |
Barbara Harbach - Martinu • Thomson • Persichetti • Albright • Adler • Sowash • Templeton – 20th Century Harpsichord Music(CD, Album) | 1988 | Kingdom Records |
| 14 |  |
Carole Terry - Henry Cowell / Vincent Persichetti / William Albright / Ned Rorem – 20th Century Harpsichord Works(LP) | 1986 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 15 |  |
Ann Silsbee, William Albright, Janice Hamer – Contemporary Compositions For The Keyboard(LP) | 1984 | Pro Viva |
| 16 |  |
James P. Johnson, William Albright – The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson | 1983 | Musical Heritage Society |
| 17 |  |
William Bolcom, William Albright – Scott Joplin & James P. Johnson: Ragtime Back To Back(Cassette, ) | 1981 | Musical Heritage Society |
| 18 |  |
Thomas Warburton , William Albright – Piano Music By William Albright(LP, Stereo) | 1981 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 19 |  |
Sweet Sixteenths: A Ragtime Concert | 1981 | Musical Heritage Society |
| 20 |  |
Albright Plays Albright(LP) | 1980 | Musical Heritage Society |
| 21 |  |
Alan Mandel / Siegmeister, Starer, Albright – American Piano Music(LP) | 1977 | Grenadilla Records |
| 22 |  |
William Bolcom, William Albright – Scott Joplin & James P. Johnson: Ragtime Back To Back | 1976 | The University Of Michigan School Of Music |
| 23 |  |
Dean Sanders, Pianist Plays William Albright, Burrill Phillips, John Watts (3) – Dean Sanders, Pianist Plays William Albright, Burrill Phillips, John Watts(LP) | 1973 | Trilogy (3) |
| 24 |  |
William Bolcom / William Albright With Sydney Hodkinson – New Music For Organ | 1971 | Nonesuch |
| 25 |  |
William Albright, Marilyn Mason (2) – Organbook, Juba, Pneuma(LP, Album, Stereo) | 1970 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 26 |  |
William Albright, Scott Joplin – Sweet Sixteenths: A Ragtime Concert(12", 33 ⅓ RPM) | - | Musicmasters |
Videos featuring William Albright
Concerto Jazz-A-Mine (Second Movement)
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Concerto Jazz-A-Mine (Second Movement) · William Albright
The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson
℗ 1986 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 2003-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Something Doing
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Something Doing · Scott Joplin · William Bolcom · Scott Hayden
Ragtime
℗ 1994 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 1994-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
William Bolcom: Black host (1967)
William Bolcom (*1938): Black Host, for organ, percussion & tape (1967).
William Albright, organo
Sydney Hodkinson, percussioni
Electronic tape realized at the University of Michigan Electronic Music Studio.
Cover image: painting by Alberto Burri.
***
William Albright: Organbook II (1971)
William Albright (1944-1998): Organbook II, for organ and tape (1971).
I. Toccata Satanique
II. Night Procession [08:43]
III. Last Rites (with tape) [19:09]
William Albright, organo.
Electronic tape realized at the University of Michigan Electronic Mus
Fascination
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Fascination · William Albright
The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson
℗ 1986 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 2003-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Sunflower Slow Drag
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Sunflower Slow Drag · Scott Joplin · William Bolcom · Scott Hayden
Ragtime
℗ 1994 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 1994-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
A-Flat Dream
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
A-Flat Dream · William Albright
The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson
℗ 1986 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 2003-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Swipsey Cake Walk
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Swipsey Cake Walk · Scott Joplin · William Bolcom · Arthur Marshall
Ragtime
℗ 1994 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 1994-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Lily Queen
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Lily Queen · Scott Joplin · William Bolcom · Arthur Marshall
Ragtime
℗ 1994 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 1994-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Keep Of The Grass
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Keep Of The Grass · William Albright
The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson
℗ 1986 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 2003-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Mule-Walk Stomp
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Mule-Walk Stomp · James P. Johnson · William Albright
Ragtime
℗ 1994 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 1994-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Yamerkraw (Negro Rhapsody)
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Yamerkraw (Negro Rhapsody) · William Albright
The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson
℗ 1986 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 2003-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson
℗ 1986 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 2003-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
">April In Harlem (From "Harlem Symphony")
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
April In Harlem (From "Harlem Symphony") · William Albright
The Symphonic Jazz Of James P. Johnson
℗ 1986 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 2003-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Snowy Morning Blues
Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises
Snowy Morning Blues · James P. Johnson · William Albright
Ragtime
℗ 1994 Amerco, LLC.
Released on: 1994-01-01
Auto-generated by YouTube.
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