Paul Creston

From Wind Repertory Project

Paul Creston

Biography

Paul Creston (born 10 October 1906 in New York; died 24 August 1985 in San Diego) was an American composer. Born Giuseppe Guttovergi to Italian immigrants, he studied piano but was self-taught in violin and composition because of the meager income of his family. To support himself he played organ, holding a position at St. Malachy's Church in New York from 1934 to 1967. He also taught at Central Washington State College and New York College of Music. Creston won two Guggenheim Fellowships (1938, 1939), the New York Music Critics' Circle Award (1943), and the Music Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1943). He wrote two books, Principles of Rhythm and Rational Metric Notation. His students include Charles Roland Berry, Rusty Dedrick, and John Corigliano.