Ayres, Frederic (real name, Frederick Ayres Johnson)

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Ayres, Frederic (real name, Frederick Ayres Johnson)

Ayres, Frederic (real name, Frederick Ayres Johnson), American composer; b. Binghamton, N.Y., March 17, 1876; d. Colorado Springs, Nov. 23, 1926. He studied with Edgar S. Kelley (1897–1901) and Arthur Foote (1899). His works include an overture, From the Plains, 2 string quartets, 2 piano trios, 2 violin sonatas, a Cello Sonata, and numerous songs. In his later music, he showed a tendency toward Impressionism and used moderately complex harmonic combinations.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire