Ingolf Dahl
From Wind Repertory Project
Biography
American composer, conductor, and pianist of Swedish-German parentage Ingolf Dahl (1912-1970) began his formal education in Germany and continued his studies in Switzerland after fleeing the Nazi regime. Dahl immigrated to the United States to study with Nadia Boulanger in California, settling in Los Angeles. There, he embarked on a wide range of musical activities including work for radio and film studios, composing, conducting, giving piano recitals, and lecturing. Dahl joined the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, faculty in 1945.
Dahl’s compositional output was fairly small. His Sinfonietta (1961) for concert band, which displays compositional techniques such as serialism, large structures held together by motivic and tonal interrelationships, and a compelling harmonic language, was one of his most important works.
Dahl’s work, Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble (1949), is considered an important work in the composer’s repertoire.
Works for Winds
References
- Rettie, Christopher Scott A Performer's and Conductor's Analysis of Ingolf Dahl's Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Orchestra [Doctoral Dissertation].
