Calvin Custer
Biography
Calvin H. Custer (15 July 1939 - 21 April 1998) was an American composer and arranger.
He attended Carnegie Mellon University and Syracuse University where his composition teachers included Nikolai Lopatnikoff, Ernst Bacon, and Earl George. He also studied conducting with Karl Kritz, first music director of the Syracuse Symphony.
Custer was associated with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra during the majority of his musical career serving in the keyboard, horn and string bass sections; holding various conducting positions; and serving as staff arranger. He helped to implement the orchestra's chamber music program which continues to perform in local schools and libraries to this day. Calvin was a member of the both the rock and percussion ensembles in which he played numerous instruments including keyboard and guitar. Custer was prolific in his creations of arrangements for orchestra, many of which were performed by orchestras across the country including the Boston Pops Orchestra. In 2006, the Syracuse Symphony released a CD of Custer's arrangements on the disc Big Band Bash. His many arrangements for band include Adagio from "Adagio for Strings" (Barber), Ashokan Farewell (Ungar), Rolling Thunder March (Fillmore), and Star Wars® Main Theme (Williams).
Works for Winds
- Adagio from "Adagio for Strings" (as arranger)
- American Frontier, The
- Andante Cantabile (as arranger) (1934/1995)
- Andrew Lloyd Webber: A Concert Celebration (as arranger, with Brymer) (1994)
- Appalachian Suite
- Ashokan Farewell (as arranger) (1983)
- Beauty and the Beast Medley
- Bluemound Overture
- Brandenburg Jubilee
- A Canadian Brass Christmas Suite (as arranger) (1992)
- Chanukah Is Here! (as arranger) (1992)
- Chronicle
- The Circus Bee (as arranger) (1994)
- Coventry Carol-Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1996)
- Do You Hear What I Hear? (as arranger)
- Duke Ellington! (as arranger) (1994/2004)
- Fanfare, Canto and Fandango (as arranger) (1887/1996)
- Fantasia on a Triumphant Hymn
- Festival Fanfare (1994)
- Festive Jubilee
- Forrest Gump Suite (as arranger) (1995)
- A Fresh Aire Christmas (as arranger, with Davis) (1990)
- Gloria Estefan Greatest Hits (as arranger)
- Highlights from "Guys and Dolls" (as arranger)
- Highlights from "Bye Bye Birdie'' (as arranger)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (as arranger) (1996)
- Just a Closer Walk with Thee (as arranger)
- King and I, Selections
- La Virgin de la Macarena (as arranger) (1974/1972)
- Lion King: Soundtrack Highlights (as arranger)
- Little Fugue (as adapter) (c. 1705/1974/1991)
- March Elegant
- Music for Brass and Percussion (1982)
- Music of the Night
- O Holy Night (as arranger)
- Ontario Overture
- Pachelbel's Canon (as arranger, adapt. Mills) (1975/1991)
- Passacaglia
- Procession of the Sardar (as arranger) (1894/1995)
- Prologue and Fantasia (1993)
- Saints' Hallelujah, The (as arranger) (1991)
- Selections from "Carousel" (as arranger)
- Suite from "The Planets" (as arranger) (1916/1991)
- Summertime (as arranger)
- Theme from "Schindler's List" (as arranger) (1994)
- Tribute to Rogers and Hammerstein
- Tribute to Spike Jones, A (as arranger)
- Variations on "Scarborough Faire" (1989)
- Washington Heights March
Resources
- Syracuse Symphony Orchestra CD: Big Band Bash