Cortés, Ramiro Jr.

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Cortés, Ramiro Jr.

Cortés, Ramiro Jr. , American composer and teacher; b. Dallas, Nov. 25, 1933; d. Salt Lake City, July 2, 1984. He was a student of Cowell in N.Y. (1952), of Donovan at Yale Univ. (1953–54), and of Stevens and Dahl at the Univ. of Southern Calif, in Los Angeles (B.M., 1955); after training with Petrassi in Rome on a Fulbright fellowship (1956–58), he completed his studies with Sessions at Princeton Univ. (1958) and with Giannini at the Juilliard School of Music in N.Y. (M.M., 1962). He taught in Los Angeles at the Univ. of Calif. (1966–67), and at the Univ. of Southern Calif. (1967–72); in 1972–73 he was composer-in-residence at the Univ. of Utah, where he subsequently served as a teacher and chairman of its theory and composition dept. (1973–84). In his works to the late 1960s, he followed strict serial procedures; later he became less dogmatic in approach.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera : The Christmas Garden, children’s opera (1955); Prometheus (1960); The Eternal Return (1981). M u s i c a 1 s : The Patriots (1975–76; rev. 1978). Also incidental music and dance scores. ORCH.: Night Music for Chamber Orch. (1954); Sinfonia sacra (1954; N.Y, April 9, 1955; rev. 1959); Yerma, symphonic portrait (1955); Xochitl (1955; Los Angeles, April 22, 1956); Chamber Concerto for Cello and 12 Winds (1957–58; rev. 1978); Sym. (1953–58); Sinfonia breve (1955–58); Meditation for Strings (1961); The Eternal Return (1963; rev. 1965); Concerto for Violin and Strings (1964–65; rev. 1983); Charenton, suite for Chamber Orch. (1968–71); Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings (1970–71); Movements in Variation (1972); Piano Concerto (1975); Symphonic Celebration (1979); Contrasts for Symphonic Band (1979–80); Music for Strings (1983). CHAMBER: Elegy for Flute and Piano (1952); Divertimento for Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1953); Piano Quintet (1953); Piano Trio (1959; rev. 1965); 2 string quartets (1962,1983); The Brass Ring for 2 Trumpets and 3 Trombones (1967); Duo for Flute and Oboe (1967); Wind Quintet (1967–68); 3 Movements for 5 Wind Instruments (1968); Capriccio for Woodwind Quintet (1971); Violin Sonata (1971–72); Cello Sonata (1976–77); Charenton Variations for 11 Instruments (1978); Little Suite for 8 Instruments (1978); Trumpet Sonata (1978); Suite for Violin and Piano (1980); Trio for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1981); Bridges for Wind Ensemble (1982); piano pieces, including 3 sonatas (1954–79). VOCAL: Choral works; song cycles.