William Albright

William Albright (b. Gary, October 20, 1944 – d. Ann Arbor, September 17, 1998) – Composer, pianist, organist, and academician. A native of Gary, Albright studied music at Juilliard Preparatory School (1959-1962), the Eastman School of Music (1962-63), and the University of Michigan (1962-70). In the 1968-69 school year, he studied in Paris with Oliver Messiaen on a Fullbright Scholarship. In 1970, he joined the composition department at Michigan University, where he had completed his D.M.A. in the previous academic year. At the time of his appointment, he was the Director of the Electronic Music Studio. Considered an eclectic composer of tonal and atonal music, Albright won numerous awards including the American Academy of Arts of Letters Award (1970), two Guggenheim Fellowships (1970 and 1986), and three N.E.A. fellowships (1976, 1981, and 1984). In 1993, the American Guild of Organists named Albright the Composer of the Year. As an organist, he specialized in contemporary music, and, as a pianist, he focused on ragtime, which also influenced his compositional style (as well as the style of University of Michigan colleague William Bolcom).