William Kraft (September 6, 1923 – February 12, 2022) was an American composer, conductor, teacher, timpanist, and percussionist.
Biography
Early life and education (1923–1954)
Kraft was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was awarded two Anton Seidl Fellowships at Columbia University, graduating with a bachelor's degree cum laude in 1951 and a master's degree in 1954. He studied composition with Jack Beeson and Henry Cowell, orchestration with Henry Brant, percussion with Morris Goldenberg, timpani from Saul Goodman, and conducting with Rudolph Thomas and Fritz Zweig.
While in New York City, Kraft worked as a freelance musician and was an extra percussionist at the Metropolitan Opera. In 1954, Kraft joined the Dallas Symphony. After one season, he accepted a position as percussionist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
At the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1955–1985)
Kraft began as a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's percussion section, before being promoted to the orchestra's principal timpanist. From 1968 to 1972, he also served as the orchestra's assistant conductor, under then music director Zubin Mehta. From 1981 to 1985, Kraft was Composer-in-Residence for the orchestra; during that period he founded and directed its New Music Group. Altogether he spent 26 years with the Philharmonic.
In 1958, Kraft founded the Los Angeles Percussion Ensemble, a group which made its debut on March 10 with the Monday Evening Concerts. The group performed the world and local premieres of works by Alberto Ginastera, Lou Harrison, Ernst Krenek, Igor Stravinsky, Edgard Varèse, and other composers. He performed in the local premiere of Pierre Boulez's Le marteau sans maître under the composer's direction and played the American premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Zyklus. The latter led to a journalistic debate between Los Angeles Times music critic Albert Goldberg and Kraft, who took exception to the critic's use of the term "noisemakers" in reference to percussion instruments.
He has also composed film soundtracks, including the scores to Psychic Killer (1975), Avalanche (1978), Bill (1981), and Fire and Ice (1983).
Later years
Kraft served as chairman of the composition department and holder of the Corwin Chair at the University of California, Santa Barbara until he retired in June 2002.
Kraft died on February 12, 2022, at the age of 98.
Commissions and awards
- Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards Second Prize (1984) : Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra
- Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards First Prize (1990) : Veils and Variations for Horns and Orchestra
- Hall of Fame of the Percussive Arts Society (1990)
- American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award
Compositions
In the 1960s and 1970s, most of Kraft's compositions were serial, while in the 1980s he incorporated jazz rhythms and impressionist harmonies. Although percussion works feature prominently in his catalog, in 1996–1998 he concentrated on composing his first opera, Red Azalea. His works have been performed by many major American orchestras as well as those in Europe, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Israel, and the USSR. Kraft's Contextures: Riots – Decade '60 (1967) has been choreographed and performed by both the Scottish National Ballet and the Minnesota Dance Company. In 1986, United Airlines commissioned a work expressly to accompany a lumetric sculpture by Michael Hayden titled Sky's the Limit, for their pedestrian passageway at Chicago-O'Hare International Airport.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Encounters
! rowspan="2" |Name
! colspan="2" |Instrumentations
! rowspan="2" |Details
|-
|General List
|Percussion
|-
|Soliloquy
|Multi-percussion with tape
|
|
- Commissioned by and dedicated to Karen Ervin
- World premiere by Karen Ervin in 1975
- Published by New Music West
- Tape Recording by Protone CSPR163 Cassette
|-
|Encounter II
|Tuba
|None
|
- World premiere by Roger Bobo in 1967
- Published by Editions BIM
|-
|Encounter III
|Multi-percussion and trumpet
|
|
- Commission by Thomas Stevens
- Dedicated to Thomas Stevens and Mitchell Peters
- World premiere by Malcom McNab (trumpet) and Karen Ervin (percussion) in 1972
- Published by New Music West
- Tape Recording by Protone CSPR163 Cassette
|-
|Encounter IV
|Multi-percussion and trombone with tape
|
|
- Commission by Thomas Ervin and Karen Ervin
- World premiere by Thomas Ervin (trombone), Karen Ervin (percussion) and tape collage by William Malloch on 1973
- Published by New Music West
|-
|In the Morning of the Winter Sea
|Multi-percussion and cello
|
|
- Commissioned by the Ford Foundation
- World premiere by Nathaniel Rosen (cello) and William Kraft (percussion) in 1976
- Published by New Music West
|-
|Concertino for Roto Toms and Percussion Quartet
|Multi-percussion with percussion quartet
|
|
- Commissioned by Remo
- Dedicated to Jennifer Kraft (William Kraft's daughter)
- World premiere by Temple University Percussion Ensemble on 10 March 1976
- Published by New Music West
|-
|Blessed Are the Peacemakers
|Multi-percussion duet
|
|
- Commission by Steve Grimo and Pat Hollenbeck
- Dedicated to Liz, David, Marc, Pat, Marsha, Rick, Nancy, Don, Sylvia and Carl
- World premiere by Steve Grimo and Pat Hollenbeck in 1978
- Published by New Music West
|-
|The Latimer Encounter
|Multi-percussion solo
|
|
- Commissioned by members and alumni of Wisconsin Youth Symphony
- World premiere by Jim Latimer in 1978
- Published by New Music West
|-
|Encounters IX
|Alto saxophone and multi-percussion
|
|
- Commissioned by Baylor University
- World premiere by David Hastings (saxophone) and Larry Vanlandingham (percussion) in 1982
- Published by New Music West
|-
|Duologue for Violin and Marimba
|Violin and marimba
|None
|
- Commission by Marimolin
- World premiere by Sharan Leventhal (violin) and Nancy Zeltsman (marimba) in 1992
- Published by New Music West
|-
|The Demise of Suriyodhaya
|Multi-percussion and English horn
|
|
- Commission by Carolyn Hove and Raynor Carroll
- Dedicated to Lou Harrison and Toru Takemitsu
- World premiered by Carolyn Hove (English horn) and Raynor Carroll (percussion) on 1 March 1999
- Published by Theodore Pressor Company
|-
|The Gabrielic Foray
|Multi-percussion and harp
|
|
- World premiered by David Herbert (percussion) and Alison Bjurkedal (harp) on 12 August 2003
- Published by Theodore Pressor Company
|-
|Concertino for Percussion and Woodwind Quintet
|Multi-percussion and woodwind quintet
|
|
- World premiere by Kenneth McGrath (percussion) and Southwest Chamber Music on 17 March 2008
- Published by Theodore Pressor Company
|-
|Concerto a Tre
|Violin, piano, and percussion
|
|
- World premiered by Martha's Vineyard Chamber Music Society on 8 August 2005
- Published by Theodore Pressor Company
|-
|Encounter XV
|Multi-percussion and amplified guitar
|
|
- Commissioned by the Fromm Foundation for Southwest Chamber Music
- World premiered by Lynn Vartan (percussion) and John Schneider (guitar) on 6 October 2008
- Published by Theodore Pressor Company
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Large Ensemble Works
|-
! rowspan="2" | Title !! colspan="3" | Instrumentation !! rowspan="2" | Details
|-
|Solo
|Ensemble
|Percussion
|-
|Concerto for Four Percussionists and Symphonic Wind Ensemble
|| Multi-percussion
||
|
|
- Dedicated to Edgard Varèse
- World premiere: Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra on 10 March 1966
|-
| Configurations<br>Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists and Jazz Orchestra
|| Multi-percussion
||
|
|
- Commission by Ludwig Drum Company
- World premiere by University of Southern California Wind Ensemble on 13 November 1966
|-
|Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra
|| Timpani
||
|
|
- Commissioned by Indiana Percussion Project
- Dedicated to Thomas Akins
- World premiere by Thomas Akins (soloist) and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
|-
|Concerto for Percussion and Chamber Ensemble
|| Multi-percussion
||
|
|
- World premiere by Dean Anderson (soloist) and Boston Musica Viva on 17 September 1993
|-
|Concerto No. 2 for Timpani and Orchestra<br>The Grand Encounter
|| Timpani<br>(15 Timpani are required)
|
|
|
- Commissioned by Michael Tilson Thomas (music director of San Francisco Symphony Orchestra)
- World premiere by David Herbert (soloist) and San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on 9 June 2005
|}
Recordings
Compact discs completely devoted to Kraft's music can be found on Harmonia Mundi, CRI, Cambria, Crystal, Albany, and Nonesuch labels. Other works can be found on GM, Crystal, London Decca, Townhall, EMI, and Neuma. Recent works include Brazen, commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Quintessence Revisited and Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, premiered and recorded by the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, Frank Battisti conducting. His Encounter solo series has been recorded multiple times on all appropriate instruments. On Encounters, he worked with guitarist John Schneider. Encounters II showcases unique techniques for tuba such as multiphonics double pedal range. In 2010, the Los Angeles Philharmonic released a recording on DG Concerts of the Timpani Concerto No. 1 featuring Joseph Pereira as soloist with John Adams conducting.
Discography
- Encounters, (Cambria, 2009)<!--Performers, catalog number, format (CD, MP3 download, etc.).-->, Latin Grammy nomination for Best Classical Album
- Encounters II, (Cambria)
References
Works cited
External links
- William Kraft's page at Theodore Presser Company
- Detailed biography on Music Academy Online
- Interview with William Kraft, May, 1988
- NAMM Oral History Interview November 9, 2006