Robert Hall Lewis (April 22, 1926 – March 22, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, and trumpet player who taught at

Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1885 as a Nonsectarian, nonsecterian Women's colleges in the United States, ...

(1958 – 1995) and

Peabody Conservatory The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University is a private music and dance conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1857, it became affiliated with Johns Hopkins in 1977. History Philanthropist and ...

(1958 – 1995), both in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

. His works were performed widely, by such ensembles as the American Composers Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Group for Contemporary Music, Gruppe Neue Musik, London Sinfonietta, London Symphony Orchestra, Parnassus, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and many have been recorded commercially, often with the composer conducting. Lewis received BM (1949), MM (1951), and PhD (1964) degrees in composition from the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, where his principal teacher was

Bernard Rogers Bernard Rogers (4 February 1893 – 24 May 1968) was an American composer. His best known work is ''The Passion'', an oratorio written in 1942. Life and career Rogers was born in New York City. He studied with Arthur Farwell, Ernest Bloc ...

. He also studied composition privately during the 1950s with

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher, conductor and composer. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organis ...

(in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

) and

Hans Erich Apostel Hans Erich Apostel (22 January 1901 – 30 November 1972) was a German-born Austrian composer of classical music. Life and career Hans Erich Apostel was born on 22 January 1901 in Karlsruhe, Germany. He studied at the Munz Conservatory in his n ...

(in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

), and conducting with

Pierre Monteux Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting engagements in 1 ...

. His style is atonal and textural in orientation. His music is filled with arresting timbral combinations and projects its often densely complex rhythmic structures with the utmost clarity.

Bibliography

*Sam Di Bonaventura (2001), "Lewis, Robert Hall," ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan. *Robert Hall Lewis, "Nuances II, Symphony 2, Concerto For Chamber Orchestra," CRI CR596, liner notes. *Robert Hall Lewis, " usic ofRobert Hall Lewis," New World Composer Recordings NWCR 569, liner notes.

References

External links

Interview with Robert Hall Lewis
March 3, 1990 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Robert Lewis 1926 births 1996 deaths American composers Albany Records artists