Nicholas Van Slyck (October 25, 1922 - July 3, 1983) was an American composer of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

. He founded the New School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1976.

Early life

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 25, 1922. He graduated from

Kent School Kent School is a private college-preparatory day and boarding school in Kent, Connecticut. Founded in 1906, it is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. It educates around 520 boys and girls in grades 9–12. Kent was one of the first schools ...

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

in 1940 and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

(Class of 1944) where he studied with

Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter ...

. He served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

from March 1943 to June 1945 in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was a Seaman 2nd Class (Musician) and served with the 30th Construction Battalion (

Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Forces (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Dependi ...

s). While attending Harvard in the 1940s, he was also the director of the Harvard Chamber orchestra.

Career

He was a composer and concert pianist. From 1950 to 1962, he was the director of the South End Music Center in Boston, Massachusetts and from 1962 to 1976, he was the director of the Longy School of Music of Bard College."Nicholas Van Slyck, 60, headed Boston, Cambridge Music Schools"
''The Boston Globe'', Boston, Massachusetts, volume 224, number 4, July 4, 1983, page 27. From 1962 to 1967, he was the conductor of the Quincy Symphony. He had his music performed by the Boston Civic Symphony. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra played his music at the 10 year anniversary of the New School.Miller, Nancy
"New School of Music pays tribute to former director"
''Boston Sunday Globe'', Boston, Massachusetts, volume 231, number 88, March 29, 1987, page 44.

Honors

*1983 Composer of the Year from

Music Teachers National Association Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) is an American nonprofit professional organization for the support, growth, and development of music-teaching professionals, with more than 17,000 members in 50 states, and more than 500 affiliated loca ...

Works

References

External links

Allmusic profileThe Harvard Crimson coverage about Nicholas Van Slyck
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Slyck, Nicholas 1922 births 1983 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male composers Harvard University alumni Kent School alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II Musicians from Philadelphia United States Navy sailors