Donald Eugene Gillis (June 17, 1912 – January 10, 1978) was an American composer, conductor, teacher, and radio producer. The composition that has gained him most recognition is his orchestral Symphony No. 5½, ''A Symphony for Fun''.

Biography

Gillis was born in

Cameron, Missouri Cameron is a city in Clinton, DeKalb and Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 8,513 at the 2020 census. The Clinton and Caldwell counties portion of Cameron are part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, while ...

. His family moved to

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

, and he studied at

Texas Christian University Texas Christian University (TCU) is a private university, private research university in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It was established in 1873 by brothers Addison Clark, Addison and Randolph Clark as the AddRan Male & Female College. It i ...

, playing trombone and acting as assistant director of the university band. He graduated in 1935, and obtained a master's degree from

North Texas State University The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

in 1943. He became production director for the radio station WBAP, later moving to

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

where he became producer for the

NBC Symphony Orchestra The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, the parent corporation of the National Broadcasting Company especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC ...

during the tenure of its conductor

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...

. He held several teaching posts at academic institutions in the southern United States during his career, and also helped to found the

Symphony of the Air The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra conceived by David Sarnoff, the president of the Radio Corporation of America, the parent corporation of the National Broadcasting Company especially for the conductor Arturo Toscanini. The NBC S ...

orchestra. Gillis produced several NBC radio programs, including ''Serenade to America'' and ''NBC Concert Hour''. After Toscanini retired in 1954, Gillis, serving as president of the Symphony Foundation of America, was instrumental in helping to form the Symphony of the Air, using members of the old NBC Symphony. Gillis also produced the radio program ''Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend'', which ran for several years on NBC after the Italian conductor's death. In 1973 he joined the faculty of the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

where he founded, and was chairman of, the Institute for Media Arts and was instrumental in establishing the Instructional Services Center. Dr. Gillis also served as USC's composer-in-residence until his death. He died in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, on January 10, 1978. His papers and an extensive collection of recorded material are housed at the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

in Denton.

Music

Despite his administrative responsibilities, Gillis was a prolific composer, writing ten orchestral symphonies, tone poems like ''Portrait of a Frontier Town'', piano concertos, rhapsodies for harp and orchestra, and six string quartets. He also composed a wide variety of band music. Gillis is best remembered as the composer of his Symphony No. 5½, ''A Symphony for Fun'', originally performed by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra during a September 21, 1947, broadcast concert that Gillis also produced; it was preserved on transcription discs but not commercially issued. Since 2005, his symphonies have been recorded on the

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...

label. Gillis sought to interpret contemporary American culture musically. His music drew upon popular material, particularly emphasizing jazz, which he considered a revitalizing element in American music. He assimilated popular influences in a simple and straightforward style aimed at communicating with his audiences through an emphasis on clear, accessible, melodic writing. Many of his works are best characterized as fun and full of humor.

Chronological list of principal compositions

*1936 String Quartet 1 *1937 ''The Panhandle'', symphonic suite for orchestra *1937 ''The Crucifixion'', cantata *1937 ''The Woolyworm'', for orchestra *1937 ''Thoughts Provoked on Becoming a Prospective Papa'', symphonic suite *1937 ''The Raven'', after Edgar Allan Poe, for narrator and orchestra *1938 Suite 1 for Wind Quintet *1939 Suite 2 for Wind Quintet *1939 Suite 3 for Wind Quintet *1939–40 Symphony 1, ''An American Symphony'' *1940 ''Intermission – Ten Minutes'', symphonic sketch for orchestra *1940 ''Portrait of a Frontier Town'', for orchestra *1940 Symphony 2, ''Symphony of Faith'' *1940–41 Symphony 3, ''A Symphony for Free Men'' *1941 ''The Night Before Christmas'', for narrator and orchestra *1942 ''Three Sketches'', for strings *1943 ''Prairie Poem'', tone poem *1943 Symphony 4, ''The Pioneers'' *1944 ''The Alamo'', tone poem *1944 ''A Short Overture to an Unwritten Opera'', for orchestra *1944–45 Symphony 5, ''In Memoriam'' *1945 ''To An Unknown Soldier'', tone poem *1945 ''This Is Our America'', cantata *1945–46 Symphony 5½, ''A Symphony for Fun'' *1946 Rhapsody for harp and orchestra *1947 ''Dude Ranch'', tone poem *1947 String Quartet 6 *1947 Symphony 6, ''Mid-Century USA'' *1948 Symphony 7, ''Saga of the Prairie School'' *1949 ''Shindig'', ballet in 7 episodes for orchestra *1950 Symphony 8, ''A Dance Symphony'' *1950 ''Tulsa'', a symphonic portrait in oil, for orchestra *1951 Symphony 9, ''Star-Spangled Symphony'' *1954 ''The Coming of The King'', for chorus *1956 Piano Concerto 1, Encore Concerto *1956 ''Pep-Rally'', opera for band *1957 ''The Park Avenue Kids'', opera *1957 ''Five Acre Pond'', for oboe and orchestra *1958 ''The Libretto'', opera *1958 ''Men of Music'', for band *1959 ''The Land of Wheat'', suite for band *1961–62 ''The Legend of Star Valley Junction'', opera *1964 ''Ceremony of Allegiance'', for narrator and band *1965 ''Seven Golden Texts'', for narrator voices and orchestra *1966 ''The Gift of the Magi'', opera *1966 ''World Premiere'', opera *1966 Piano Concerto 2 *1967 ''Arturo Toscanini, A Portrait of a Century'', for narrator and orchestra *1967 Symphony X (10), Big D(allas) *1967-8 ''The Nazarene'', opera *1969 Rhapsody for trumpet and orchestra *1973 ''Behold the Man'', opera *1976 ''The Secret History of the Birth of a Nation'', for narrator voices and orchestra

Publications

* ''The Unfinished Symphony Conductor''. Pemberton Press (1967). A satirical conducting manual. * ''The Art of Media Instruction''. Crescendo Book Publications (1973).

Memberships and affiliations

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (legally Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha, PMA, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity for men with a special interest ...

:# Alpha Alpha, 1958 (National Honorary Chapter) :# Gamma Theta, 1941 ( University of North Texas College of Music Chapter)

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine on Gillis' Symphony 5½, ''A Symphony for Fun'' (1947)
The Man Who Invented Music
Short item in ''Time'' on Gillis' "The Man Who Invented Music" (1949)

Short article about Gillis from the Compact Discoveries program on the

Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillis, Don 1912 births 1978 deaths American opera composers American male opera composers American ballet composers University of North Texas College of Music alumni Musicians from Fort Worth, Texas Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia People from Cameron, Missouri University of South Carolina faculty American radio producers 20th-century American classical composers Classical musicians from Texas Classical musicians from Missouri 20th-century American male musicians

Biography

Music

Chronological list of principal compositions

Publications

Memberships and affiliations

External links