William Bergsma

Short bio William Bergsma

Birthday: 1921 in Oakland, CA

Died: 1994

Active: 1940s - 1970s

Genre: Classical

Period: 20th Century, Modern

Full biography William Bergsma

William Bergsma (1921-1994) was an American composer and educator who was active from the 1950s to the 1980s. He is best known for his works in the classical tradition, including operas, orchestral compositions, chamber music, and choral music.

Bergsma was born in Oakland, California, and studied at the University of California, Berkeley, before earning his master's degree from the Juilliard School in New York City. He later taught at several universities, including the University of Washington and the University of Oregon, and was known for his emphasis on modern techniques and experimentation in composition.

One of Bergsma's most well-known works is his opera "The Wife of Martin Guerre," which premiered in 1966 and was based on a true story from sixteenth-century France. The opera was later adapted into a Broadway musical, but Bergsma's original work remains a significant contribution to the operatic repertoire.

In addition to his work as a composer, Bergsma was a respected educator, and many of his students went on to achieve success in their own musical careers. He was known for his commitment to his students and his ability to inspire and encourage them in their own creative endeavors.

Bergsma's legacy as a composer continues to be celebrated today, and his works remain an important part of the classical music canon. His contributions to the world of music have helped to shape the course of modern composition and will undoubtedly continue to be appreciated by generations of music lovers and scholars.

Compositions featuring William Bergsma

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	The Voice of the Coelacanth, rhapsodic variations for violin, horn & piano	12:41 min	Chamber Music	1981
2	Quintet for flute & strings		Chamber Music	1979
3	Changes for Seven, for woodwind quintet, percussion & piano	8:13 min	Chamber Music	1971
4	Violin Concerto	22:27 min	Concerto	1965
5	Fantastic Variations for viola & piano on a Theme from "Tristan and Isolde"	13:14 min	Chamber Music	1961
6	Chameleon Variations for orchestra	12:47 min	Orchestral	1960
7	March With Trumpets, for band	6:17 min	Band Music	1950
8	Lullee Lullay	2:53 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1948
9	Gold and the Senor Commandante, ballet	13:54 min	Ballet	1941
10	Concerto for wind quintet	14:10 min	Concerto	-
11	Fantasies (3) for piano	5:24 min	Keyboard	-
12	Riddle Me This, for chorus	6:58 min	Choral	-
13	Serenade: To Await the Moon, for orchestra	14:21 min	Orchestral	-
14	Songs (4) for medium voice, clarinet, bassoon & piano	6:29 min	Vocal Music	-
15	Tangents for piano	30:04 min	Keyboard	-
16	Variations for piano		Keyboard	-

Albums featuring William Bergsma

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Benjamin Lees, Robert Starer, Meyer Kupferman, Michael Colgrass, Lou Harrison, Walter Piston, William Bergsma – American Concertos(2×CD, Album, Compilation, Remastered)	1995	VoxBox
2	William Bergsma, Benjamin Lees, David Diamond (2), Ernest Bloch -- Portland Youth Philharmonic / Jacob Avshalomov – Music By Bergsma ∗ Bloch ∗ Diamond ∗ Lees(CD, Album, Remastered)	1992	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
3	Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet, William Bergsma, Joseph Goodman (2), Luigi Zaninelli, Alvin Etler – Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet(LP, Stereo)	1984	Crystal Records (5)
4	William Bergsma - Philadelphia String Quartet, William O. Smith, Dan Dunbar, Donald McInnes, Randolph Hokanson – String Quartet No. 4 / Illegible Canons For Clarinet And Percussion / Fantastic Variations On A Theme From Tristan(LP)	1977	Musical Heritage Society
5	Morton Subotnick / John Eaton (2) / William Bergsma, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Lukas Foss / Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Donald Johanos / Edward Statkiewicz, Polish Radio And Television Orchestra, Zdzislav Szostak – Lamination / Concert Piece For Synk	1971	Turnabout
6	Roy Harris, David Diamond (2), William Bergsma, Benjamin Lees / Portland Junior Symphony / Jacob Avshalomov – Elegy And Dance / The World Of Paul Klee / Chameleon Variations / Prologue, Capriccio And Epilogue	1960	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
7	Lukas Foss / William Bergsma – String Quartet No. 1 / Third Quartet	1960	Columbia Masterworks
8	Roger Sessions / William Bergsma / Russell Smith (9) – Symphony No. 1 / Music On A Quiet Theme / Tetrameron	1959	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
9	Luening / Ussachevsky / William Bergsma – A Poem In Cycles And Bells & Other Music For Tape Recorder	1957	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
10	Howard Hanson, Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, Kent Kennan / Bernard Rogers (2) / William Bergsma – Three Pieces / Once Upon A Time / Gold And The Señor Commandante	1957	Mercury
11	William Bergsma - Mary Judd, Regina Sarfaty, Stephen Harbachick, Frederic Waldman – Scenes From "The Wife Of Martin Guerre", Opera In 3 Acts	1956	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
12	William Bergsma - Walden String Quartet Of The University Of Illinois / Arthur Shepherd (2) - Marie Kraft, Walden String Quartet Of The University Of Illinois – String Quartet #2 / Triptych For Soprano And String Quartet(LP, Album)	1952	American Recording Society
13	Douglas Moore / William Bergsma – Quintet For Clarinet And Strings / String Quartet No. 2(LP, Stereo)	-	Desto