David Van Vactor (May 8, 1906 – March 24, 1994) was an

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composer of

contemporary classical music Contemporary classical music is Western art music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st-century classical music, 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 Modernism (music), post-tonal music after the death of ...

. He was born in

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, and received Bachelor of Music (1928) and Master of Music (1935) degrees from

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. He studied with Arne Oldberg, Mark Wessel, Ernst Nolte (composer),

Leo Sowerby Leo Salkeld Sowerby (1 May 1895 – 7 July 1968) was an American composer and church musician. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1946 and was often called the “Dean of American church music” in the early to mid-20th century. His many s ...

Paul Dukas Paul Abraham Dukas ( 1 October 1865 – 17 May 1935) was a French composer, critic, scholar and teacher. A studious man of retiring personality, he was intensely self-critical, having abandoned and destroyed many of his compositions. His best-k ...

, Franz Schmidt, and

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

. He was the assistant conductor of the

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(1933–34) and was both the flute section leader and assistant conductor of the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra from 1943 to 1947.Bayne 2001. He served as the conductor of the

Knoxville Symphony Orchestra The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra in Knoxville, Tennessee. The KSO was selected among a competitive pool of orchestras in 2020 to perform at the Kennedy Center as part of the ''SHIFT'' Festival of American Orchestras. ...

from 1947 until 1972. He also appeared as guest conductor with the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, the

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, the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

, the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is a British orchestra based in London. One of five permanent symphony orchestras in London, the LPO was founded by the conductors Thomas Beecham, Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a riv ...

, the

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, and the orchestras of Rio de Janeiro and Santiago, Chile. He composed well over one hundred major works, including seven symphonies, nine concertos, five large pieces for chorus and orchestra, many orchestral, chamber and vocal works, and four pieces for symphonic band.The Oscholars: David Van Vactor
/ref> In 1938 his Symphony in D won the Second Annual Competition of the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Society for a major symphonic work by a U. S. composer (his former teacher Mark Wessel received the sole Honorable Mention in the same competition). The Symphony was premiered on January 19, 1939, by the Philharmonic-Symphony, conducted by the composer. His music was recorded by the conductor William Strickland. He was Professor of Composition and Flute at the

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. His notable students include the "Van Vactor Five": Gilbert Trythall, Richard Trythall, David P. Sartor, Jesse Ayers, and Doug Davis.Amazon
/ref> He was named Composer Laureate of the State of Tennessee by the Tennessee State Legislature and was succeeded in that position by another of his composition students, Michael Kurek in 2022. He died in

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, in 1994. The David Van Vactor Collection is held by the

Special Collections Library in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Discography

*1958 – ''Fantasia, Chaconne, and Allegro''. (With N. V. Bentzon, ''Pezzi sinfonici'', op.109, and Walter Piston, ''Serenata''). Louisville Orchestra, Robert Whitney, cond. Louisville LP, LOU-58-6. *1969 – ''The Music of David Van Vactor'' (Everest) *1970 – Concerto a quattro; Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. Willy Schmidt, Werner Peschke, Karl Hermann Seyfried, flutes; Charlotte Cassedanne-Haase, harp; Hans Eurich, viola; Hessischer Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester, David Van Vactor, cond. Orion LP ORS 7024 *1976 – ''American Music for Flute and Piano'' (includes Van Vactor's Sonatina for Flute and Piano), Keith Bryan, flute; Karen Keys, piano. Orion LP, ORS 76242. *1995 – ''The Music of David Van Vactor''. Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 3; Recitativo and Saltarello, for orchestra; Sinfonia Breve. Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (Symphony No. 1); Hessischer Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester, David Van Vactor, cond. CRI CD 702. Material originally released on LPs, by CRI SD 169 (1963) and SD 225 (1968), and by Orion ORS 6910 (1969) *2006 – ''Episodes—Jesus Christ''. The Knoxville Choral Society and Orchestra, J. B. Lyle, cond. CD Baby 103615.

References

*Anon. (1938a). "Van Vactor Wins $1,000 Music Prize; American Composer Receives Philharmonic Society Award for His Symphony in D". ''New York Times'' (September 13): 27. *Anon. (1938b).
Evanstonians
. ''Time'' (September 26). *Bayne, Pauline Shaw (ed.) (1993)
''The David Van Vactor Collection: A Catalog''
Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville Libraries. *Bayne, Pauline (2001). "Van Vactor, David". ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. New York: Grove's Dictionaries. *Downes, Olin (1939). "Van Vactor Work Has Its Premiere: Prize-Winning Symphony Is Played by Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall; Nathan Milstein Heard: The Violinist's Performance of Mendelssohn Concerto Wins Approval of Audience". ''New York Times'' (January 20). *Ramsey, Russell Giffin (1971). "David Van Vactor: Composer, Musician and Educator." M.S. thesis. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee. *Van Vactor, David, and Katherine D. Moore (1960). ''Every Child May Hear''. Knoxville, Tennessee: The University of Tennessee Press.

External links

David Van Vactor biography
at Knoxville Symphony Orchestra site
David Van Vactor Collection
in University of Tennessee Digital Collections

March 15, 1986 {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Vactor, David 1906 births 1994 deaths American male classical composers 20th-century American classical composers People from Plymouth, Indiana Northwestern University alumni Classical musicians from Indiana University of Tennessee faculty 20th-century American male musicians