Don Gillis

Don Gillis

Biography

Don Gillis (17 June 1912, Cameron, Mo. - 10 January 1978, Columbia, S.C.) was an American composer and conductor.

Gillis received the BA, BM, and honorary DM from Texas Christian University, and the MM degree from North Texas State University. At TCU, Gillis also led the 111th Medical Regiment (National Guard) Band.

The name of Don Gillis on a program leads audiences to expect tuneful, picturesque music, descriptive of various American scenes. Educated in Kansas, a college band director and music department head in Texas, musical director for NBC radio during a long series of Toscanini broadcasts, a promoter for the National Music Camp—these are a few of the activities which have influenced the compositional styles of Don Gillis.

In addition to composing for a variety of choral and instrumental ensembles, he has guest-conducted bands and orchestras in the United States and in Europe. Some of his better-known scores include The Man Who Invented Music, The January February March, Alice in Orchestralia, The Coming of the Kings, Symphony for Band, Ballet for Band, Saga of a Pioneer, Tulsa, Symphony 5, and Symphony X (Big “D”). His works, which number over 200, have been performed in 35 countries. Before his death in January 1978, Gillis was the director of the Center for Media Arts Studies and composer-in-residence at the University of South Carolina.

Works for Winds

Adaptable Music

• Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger; adapt. Brown) (1990/)

All Wind Works

• Bach Chorales for Brass Choir (as arranger)
• Ballet for Band (1965)
• Ceremony of Allegiance (1965)
• The Coming of the Kings
• Downbeat (1958)
• Hymn Song for Sunday (1963)
• The January February March (1950)
• Just a Closer Walk (as arranger; adapt. Barnes) (1988)
• Just a Closer Walk with Thee (as arranger)
• Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger; adapt. Brown) (1990/)
• The Man Who Invented Music
• Rompin' Stomp, The
• Saga of a Pioneer (1966)
  • The Land Beyond
  • The Pioneers
  • Song of Memory
  • Centennial Celebration
• Short Overture to an Unwritten Opera (1944)
• Spiritual?. See: Spiritual?
• Symphony No 5 1-2 (1947)
  • Spiritual? (arr. Bainum) (1947/1954)
• Tulsa (1957)
• Variations on a Kitchen Sink (1958/1970/2017)

Resources

• Don Gillis Collection, University of North Texas Libraries.
• Don Gillis, Wikipedia Accessed 22 March 2020
• "The Music of Don Gillis." Wayback Machine. Web. Accessed 31 December 2022.
• Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 229-230