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Birth
Born in New York City on January 25th, 1921. His parents loved good music and made it part of their daily lives. -
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History of Alfred Reed
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Training
Started formal music training at age 10. -
Composer
Started working in Radio Workshop at New York as a staff composer and assistant conductor -
Member of the Air Force Band
As World War II starteed he was assigned to the 529th Army Air Corps Band for three and a half years of service, Moreover, he produced nearly 100 compositions and arrangements for band during his time there. -
Studies
Reed enrolled at the Juilliard School of Music and studied composition with Vittorio Giannini. -
NBC
In 1948, Reed became a staff composer and arranger with NBC and subsequently, with ABC, where he wrote and arranged music for radio, television, record albums and films. -
Baylor University
Alfred Reed attented Baylor University from 1953 to 1955 to ocmplete his Bachelor of Music degree and he also started conducting their Symphony Orchestra. During this time, Reed was actively involved with WORLD Records as the musical director. -
Development
His interest in the development of educational music led him to serve as executive editor of Hansen Publishing from 1955 to 1966 -
Degree Acomplishment
In this year, Reed had earned his Bachelor of Music degree. -
Awarded
In 1959, Reed won the Luria Prize for his masters thesis "Rhapsody for Viola and Orchestra". When Hansen agreed to publish this work, Reed decided to give it to Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. instead, because they had more experience with symphonic music.
It then was published in 1966 and Reed dedicated this music to Milton Katims, who was a profound viola soloist. -
Miami
Alfred Reed moved to Miami, Florida and was strangely told by several people not to get mixed up with the Univeristy of Miami. However, he later ignored that advice. -
Univeristy of Miami
In 1965, at age 44, Reed felt as though he did not achieve his goal of becoming a recognized composer and thus, he encountered former dean of the University of Miami School of Music, William Lee, and was invited to spend some time at the University. Here he developed the first four-year Music Industry program. -
Full-time
In fall of 1965, Reed taught his first music merchandising class at the University of Miami, and later in 1966 decided to work full time at the university. -
UMMP
Reed published his first work with UMMP called "Villabela" He rewrote this work because he felt the melodic material that Kenneth Williams wrote would sound better with a Latin feel. -
Notable Musical Work
Armenian Dances (Part I) was completed in the summer of 1972 and first performed by the University of Illinois Symphonic Band. Each part consisted of a number of Armenian folk songs from the collection of Komitas Vardapet (1869–1935), an Armenian ethnomusicologist.
Armenian Dances (Part II) would then be dedicated to Dr. Harry Begian, and premiered on April 4, 1976 in Urbana, Illinois, because of the great success of Part I. -
Appointed to Music director
In 1980, following the retirement of his old friend and colleague, Dr. Frederick Fennell, Reed was appointed music director and conductor of the University of Miami Symphonic Wind Ensemble. -
Japan Years
In 1981, Alfred Reed was involved in Japan's wind band movement and became close friends with Paul Yoder. In this year after his first visit to Japan, Reed was commissioned by the Rissho Kosei-kai to write "Three Revelations for the Lotus Sutra". -
Works for NHK
Reed was approached by Kazunori Momose, a timpanist in the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, to write "Concertino for Marimba and Winds". Reed conducted the recording in February 1992 and was released to public in 1993. -
His Japan Highlight
Reed conducted a concert in Tokyo with the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces Band and received a uniform for his induction into the Japan militia. -
Retirement
Reed leaves Hansen Publishing to become a professor of music at the University of Miami, where he served until his retirement in 1993 -
Continued rise in Japan
Reed was honoured again when the Japanese established an international music festival, the Alfred Reed International Association (ARIA), for his accomplishments.The first festival was held in August 1993. -
JBA Induction
Even more significant was when Alfred Reed became one of the first non-Asians ever inducted into the Japanese Band Association (JBA) alongside Fredrick Fennell. -
Death
Dr. Reed left New York for Miami, Florida, in 1960, where he made his home until his death on September 16, 2005. Passed away at the age of 84 with a short illness.
