Schedule
HostsWays to Give
HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsEventsOn DemandOur StoryOur TeamWays to Give Become a Sponsor
How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media:

Logo image

Find Us on Social Media:

Download Our Mobile App:

google play icon

About

HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsOn DemandOur StoryOur Team

Community

EventsWays to Give Become a SponsorPressDiversity StatementCareersAnnual EEO ReportDigital Accessibility

Help

Visit Help CenterContact UsHow to Listen

©2025 Classical California

Sweepstakes RulesFCC ComplianceLocal Public FilesCPB ComplianceAnnual EEO ReportPrivacy PolicyCode of Integrity

articles / Pop Culture

Remembering Olly Wilson

Pop CultureThe State of the Arts

Composer and educator Olly Wilson died earlier this month, leaving a legacy of music that pulls from various traditions, which he shaped in sound and space. In addition to his writing works for all kinds of ensembles, he taught at the university level for decades, including more than thirty years at UC Berkeley.

Remembering Olly Wilson
00:00

You can read his obituary on the UC Berkeley Music Department‘s webpage.

In 2012, in an interview prior to a performance by the Oakland Symphony (then Oakland East Bay Symphony) of his work Episodes for Orchestra, Wilson described some of his compositional process, and the valuable role that being part of academia played in his career: “As a composer, I think of sound sometimes in graphic terms. You know, I can lay out a design. Matter of fact, sometimes in working on a piece, often what I do initially is to work at a graph table, and lay out what I think could be. But recognizing that this is one dimensional space, but I’m dealing with time, so I have to also factor that in… The relationship of time to composition is interesting because… since music exists in a linear fashion, you know, you might assume that you think of it that way. But not only are  you working with your ability to imagine sound, but you’re also working with the shaping of something.” His early interest in jazz had him playing in small ensembles around his native St. Louis – he played piano, bass, and clarinet. “When I was a sophomore in college, you know, I must have been 19 years old, I began to think seriously I wanted to write music. I needed a patron. And I discovered that the patrons from the arts in 20th Century America, the patron really is the university.” Before coming to Berkeley in 1970, he had taught at Florida A&M University, and at Oberlin’s Conservatory of Music (where he founded their electronic music program). “I also happen to love ideas, I happen to love research, I happen to love teaching… I happen to love learning, and the discussion about the meaning of life and the meaning of music and the meaning of art. And so it was a natural for me – and I’ve been able to do things that I would not have been able to do had I not had the university as a patron.”

Pop CultureThe State of the Arts
Written by:
Jeffrey Freymann
Jeffrey Freymann
Published on 05.11.2018
Loading...

MORE LIKE THIS

Remembering Robin Sutherland

Remembering Robin Sutherland

Renowned musician Robin Sutherland, who served as Principal Keyboards with the San Francisco Symphony for 46 years, has passed away. He was a beloved figure known for his virtuosity and cultural versatility.

12/19/2020
Remembering Ennio Morricone

Remembering Ennio Morricone

Renowned composer Ennio Morricone, known for his versatile film scores in over 450 films, has passed away at 91. He won an Oscar in 2016 and received an honorary Academy Award in 2007.

07/06/2020
Telegraph String Quartet Plays ‘Wave Upon Wave’

Telegraph String Quartet Plays ‘Wave Upon Wave’

The Telegraph String Quartet performs Robert Sirota's work, Wave Upon Wave, at the Noe Valley Chamber Music series. Sirota's piece explores the "topography of the human heart."

05/15/2018
The Return of PIVOT’s Creative Performers

The Return of PIVOT’s Creative Performers

Composer-pianist Timo Andres is set to perform in San Francisco Performances’ PIVOT series, accompanying the L.A. Dance Project and playing a solo recital. He'll also discuss Philip Glass's music with Kronos Quartet.

05/11/2018
Remembering Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Remembering Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Renowned Russian baritone, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, has passed away at 55 after a brave battle with brain cancer. His remarkable talent and spirit will be deeply missed.

11/22/2017
A Tailor-Made Cello Concerto

A Tailor-Made Cello Concerto

Cellist Joshua Roman performs a concerto by Mason Bates with Berkeley Symphony, conducted by Christian Reif. The concert also features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4.

03/27/2017