Hubert Howe

Biography

Hubert S. Howe, Jr. was born in Portland, Oregon in 1942 and grew up in Los Angeles, California, where he began his musical studies as an oboist. He was educated at Princeton University , where he studied with J. K. Randall, Godfrey Winham and Milton Babbitt, and from which he received the A.B., M.F.A. and Ph.D. degrees. He was one of the first researchers in computer music, and became Professor of Music and Director of the Electronic Music studios at Queens College of the City University of New York. He also taught at the Juilliard School from 1974 through 1994. In 1988-89 he held the Endowed Chair in Music at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. From 1989 to 1998 and 2000 to 2001 he was Director of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College.

He has been a member of the Society of Composers, Inc. since its founding in 1965, and served on the Executive Committee from 1967 to 1971, in which capacity he published the first several volumes of the Society's Proceedings. He served as President of the League of Composers-International Society for Contemporary Music, U.S. section from 1970 until 1979, in which capacity he directed the first ISCM World Music Days ever held outside of Europe. In 1980, he received a commission from the CSC at the University of Padua, Italy, for his composition Astrazioni (Abstractions), which was presented at the Biennale of Venice. He has been a member of the International Computer Music Association and directed the International Computer Music Conference at Queens College in 1980. He is a member of the American Composers Alliance and BMI. He has been a member of the American Composers Alliance since 1974 and currently serves as President.

In 1994, he was the composer-in-residence of the Third Annual Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival at the University of Florida in Gainesville, and he has appeared at most of these festivals in subsequent years. Recent performances have also taken place at the Electronic Music Midwest Festivals, at the Eighth and Ninth Biennial Symposium on Arts and Technology at Connecticut College, at the Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference, at the 2003 International Computer Music Conference in Singapore, and at the 26th Annual New Music and Art Festival at Bowling Green State University.

His music has been recorded on Opus One and Capstone Records.

A new CD was released in 2011 by Parma/Ravello. Click here to purchase or hear samples.


  • solo keyboard
  • ACE Publications

    104 title(s)
    Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
    Hubert Howe Nonet fl,ob,cl,bsn,pf,vn,va,vc,cb
    Hubert Howe PENTACHORDAL ETUDES Solo Piano
    Hubert Howe PI fixed media, audio playback
    Hubert Howe Piece for DX-7 II Synthesizer Ensemble 4 Yamaha DX-7 II Synthesizers
    Hubert Howe Piece for Five Octave Keyboard piano or synthesizer
    Hubert Howe Prelude for Organ Organ
    Hubert Howe Prism (revision of Scherzo, 1976) orch (2-2-2-bcl-2, 4-2-2-1, str)
    Hubert Howe Procession 3 Synthesizers
    Hubert Howe Quintet fl, (a)cl, vln,vcl,pf
    Hubert Howe Restless B-flat clarinet and cello
    Hubert Howe SCENE FOR SOLO ALTO SAXOPHONE
    solo Eb alto sax
    Hubert Howe SCENE for solo clarinet
    Hubert Howe Scrunch! electronic tape (CD)
    Hubert Howe Sextet
    fl, cl, vn, vla, vcl, pno
    Hubert Howe Six Songs sop,pf
    Hubert Howe Symphony 2 fl,2,ob,2 cl,2 bsn,4 hn,2 tpt,2 tbn,tb,str.
    Hubert Howe SYMPHONY NO. 2
    Hubert Howe SYMPHONY NO. 3 alternate versions: audio playback, fl, cl, ob, bn, hn, tpt, trb, tba, pno, strings
    Hubert Howe Symphony No. 4 - chamber orch fl, ob, cl, bsn, hn, tpt, tbn, tba, pf, strings
    Hubert Howe SYMPHONY No. 4 - full orchestra 2222 2121 piano, strings
    Hubert Howe TETRACHORDAL ETUDES Solo Piano
    Hubert Howe Three Studies in Timbre electronic tape (CD)
    Hubert Howe Timbre Study No. 4 electronic tape (CD)
    Hubert Howe Timbre Study No. 5 electronic tape (CD)
    Hubert Howe Timbre Study No. 6 electronic tape (CD)

    Additional Works