From 1969 until his retirement in 2004, he taught music theory and composition at UCLA, where in 1995, he received the Charles and Harriet Luckman Award for Distinguished Teaching;[3] as of 2006, he was a Professor Emeritus at UCLA. His catalogue includes twelve piano sonatas, nine concertos for various instruments, two song cycles, and dozens of other vocal, chamber, and dramatic works.
He had a long-term relationship with the Mirecourt Trio[4] and its members, John Jensen, Terry King, and Kenneth Goldsmith, as well as with violinist Jessica Mathaes,[5] cellist Kim Cook,[6] the Borealis Wind Quintet, pianists Walter Ponce,[7] Christopher Guzman,[8] Colette Valentine, and conductors William Boughton, Jon Robertson,[9] David Whitwell,[10] and Guillermo Figueroa. Included among many commissions are those from the Ahmanson Organ Programming Endowment, the Jerome Foundation, Pacific Serenades,[11] and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
His music has been published by Carl Fischer Inc.,[12] Theodore Presser Co.,[13] Laurendale Associates,[14] Pacific Serenades.,[15] and Seesaw Music.[16] His many recordings are available on the Naxos,[17] MSR,[18] and Music & Arts labels.[19]
Graces and Furies clarinet and string quartet (1988)
Eleven Miniatures for Wind Quintet (1978)
Works for wind ensemble (not including concertos)
Inferno (2003)
Moonrise, A Polonaise, Early Light (1983, 1985)
Screamers (1980)
Works for orchestra (not including concertos)
American Elegy for string orchestra (2007)
Sinfonia Concertante "La Folia" for large orchestra (1995)
Dancer's Dream for string orchestra (1980, 1993)
Dramatic works
Democracy Rigged, libretto by Richard Gochman (2016)
Uncle Sigmund Goes to the Opera (1986)
The Ballad of the Sleazy Palace Café, opera in one act, libretto by Peter Belfiore (1979, 1981)
The Waltz King for SATB solos, 2 violins, piano, narrator (1976)
America: A Premature Celebration for flute, violin, guitar, narrator. Text by E. E. Cummings (1975)
Mad Ophelia for soprano, chorus, orchestra, and quadraphonic electronic tape (1974)
Terza Prattica for soloists, chorus, collegium, and chamber orchestra (1972, 1974)
Songs
Serene Words, five songs for mezzo-soprano and piano on poems of Gabriela Mistral (2000)
Hopkins Songs, four songs for tenor and piano (1994)
Regrets of Adolescence for soprano, trumpet, bass clarinet (1978)
Choral works
Ave Maria for SAA and piano (2016)
A Better Resurrection for soprano solo, TTB, piano (2007)
Resignation for SSAATTBB and piano (2007)
Psalm 109 for two solo baritones, SATB, piano, percussion (2001)
Psalm 84 for SATB and organ (1995)
What is Life? for SSATBB (1985)
The Lamb for solo bass, SAA, text: Blake (1981)
We All Loved You, Jenny Jo for mezzo-soprano and SATB (1981, 2017)
Spring and Fall for SSATB, text: Hopkins (1978)
Curiosities
Du bist bei Mir for C trumpet, violoncello, keyboard (2005)
En Chapeau for violin and piano, a burlesque made out of quotations from the music of Claude Debussy (2004)
Watchman, Tell us of the Night for three trumpets and organ (1996)
Discography
Le Bonheur de Vivre, in Pierrot Ensemble Series, vol. 1, along with works by Pellegrino, Arnesen, Price, Yip, Lin—Ablaze Records ar-00035
Caldera with Ice Cave: Music for Strings: American Elegy, Hextet, Caldera with Ice Cave (Piano Concerto no. 3); Dancer’s Dream, Concerto Grosso, American Elegy with Chimes. Christopher Guzman, piano; Lynn Philharmonia; Guillermo Figueroa, Jon Robertson, conductors—MSR Classics: MS 1703
Cello Concerto “Live Free or Die”, in Paul Reale: American Mosaic, with Piano Concerto No. 1, Piano Sonata No. 6 “The Waste Land”. Kim Cook (cello), John Jensen (piano), Paul Reale (piano), Yale Symphony Orchestra, William Boughton—Naxos 8559898
Children’s Palace: Chamber Music for Winds and Piano:Children’s Palace (Sonata for flute and piano), Sonata for oboe and piano, Transfiguration for clarinet and piano, Horn Call for horn and piano, Sonata for bassoon and piano “Dies irae”, Eleven miniatures for wind quintet. Borealis Wind Quintet; Christopher Guzman, piano—MSR Classics 1715
Chopin’s Ghosts: Works for Cello and Piano: Chopin’s Ghost Cello (Sonata No. 2), Séance, Wexford Carol, Cello Sonata no. 1, Durch die Jahreszeiten (German Folk Songs). Kim Cook, cello; Christopher Guzman, piano—Naxos 8.559820
Concerto Dies Irae for Piano Trio and Wind Ensemble, Piano Sonatas Nos. 7 & 8. The Mirecourt Trio; Walter Ponce, piano; Paul Reale, piano; California State University Wind Ensemble, David Whitwell, conductor—MSR Classics: MS1693
Drowsey Maggie: Piano Trio no. 2, in Trio America, along with works by Persichetti and Cowell. The Mirecourt Trio—Music & Arts CD-686
Music for 2 Pianos and Piano 4-hands, in CME Presents Piano Celebration, vol. 2, includes Drowsey Maggie, Serge P, World of a Bengal Child, CPE, Chorales II, Minuet in G Whiz, Little Screamers, Watchman, Tell Us of the Night. Center for Music Excellence (CME) artists—MSR Classics MS 1612
Piano Sonata no. 1 (First Sonata); Dance Sonata (Piano Sonata no. 2), along with works by Aaron Copland. John Jensen, piano—Music & Arts CD-738
Piano Sonata no. 3 (“Brahmsiana”); Salon Music, with works by Bloch, Ruggles, and Lipkis. John Jensen, piano—Music & Arts CD-757
Piano Sonata No. 6 (“The Wasteland”), in Contemporary Eclectic Music for the Piano, Vol. X. Jeffrey Jacob, Piano—New Ariel Records
Seven Deadly Sins: Works for Violin and Piano, works include Seven Deadly Sins, Composers’ Reminiscences, Sonata for Violin and Piano “Celtic Wedding”, Holiday Suite. Jessica Mathaes, violin, Colette Valentine, piano—Naxos 9.70204
Sonata for Cello & Piano, in American Cello, along with works by Barber, Cooper, Harris. Terry King, cello, John Jensen, piano—Music & Arts CD-4603
Stroke of Midnight: Piano Music, works include Piano Sonata no. 5 in A, Chocolate Soccer Ball, Piano Sonata No. 10 “Sonata Piazollana”, Concert Etude No. 2, Piano Sonata no. 12 “Stroke of Midnight”, Beethoven for the Brain Dead. John Jensen, piano—Naxos 8.559879¬
^“Doctoral Dissertations in Music and Music Education, 1968-1971.” Journal of Research in Music Education, vol. 20, no. 1, 1972, pp. 2–185. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3344338. Accessed 27 April 2024.