James Beale

Biography

James Beale, born in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts in 1924, received his early musical training under the guidance of Stanley Chapple. He studied at Harvard with Walter Piston, Irving Fine and Aaron Copland, and received a scholarship to continue work with Mr. Copland at the Berkshire Music Center in 1946. At Yale, where he worked with Richard Donovan, his Piano Trio won the Woods-Chandler Prize.

In 1958 he received a Guggenheim Fellowship and spent the following year near Paris writing his Cressay Symphony, a work in four movements for large orchestra. His compositions have been performed by orchestras throughout the country, including the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (with which he was pianist in 1945), the Columbia University Orchestra, the St. Louis Little Symphony, the Tacoma Civic Orchestra and the Portland Junior Symphony. His compositions include several symphonic works, piano sonatas, a piano trio, violin sonatas, cello concertos, etc.

During World War II, he served in the American Field Service in Italy and North Africa. He graduated from Harvard College in 1945 and in 1947 received a Master of Music from Yale University. 

He joined the faculty of the University of Washington School of Music in 1948 and taught his last classes in 1994, a span of 46 years.

(portrait drawing by John K. Costello)

  • solo voice(s)+2 to 6 instruments
  • ACE Publications

    46 title(s)
    Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
    James Beale BALLADE FOR VIOLA AND STRINGS, Op. 47
    solo vla,str: 2-1-1-1
    James Beale BALLADE FOR VIOLA & PIANO
    vla,pf
    James Beale CONCERTO FOR CELLO & ORCH solo vc, orch: 2-1-3-2; 4-2-3-1; tmp; str
    James Beale CRESSAY SYMPHONY (Symphony #2).op.26 pic-2-2-eh-2,bcl-2,cbsn, 4-3-3-1, timp, perc(3),hp,str.
    James Beale DIVERTIMENTO FOR ORCHESTRA, op 19 pic-2-1/ehn-2-1,2-2-2-0,timp, perc,pf,str
    James Beale ETUDE pf
    James Beale Fanfare , Opus 14 (1952) 4 hn, 4 tpt, 3 tbn, 1 tba, 2 snare drm, 1 bs drm
    James Beale FANTASY ON AN AMERICAN HYMN TUNE two pianos
    James Beale FANTOMES
    Bs-Bar voice, cl, cel, hp, perc, vn, vla, vc
    James Beale FIVE STILL LIFES, Op 32
    fl(2)/pic,cl(2),bscl, bsn,vib,hp(2), cel
    James Beale HOW LIKE A WINTER, op 43
    SATB,a cap
    James Beale LAMENTATIONS, op 35
    sop,fl,pf
    James Beale MUSHROOM PIECE, Op36
    tbn(s)
    James Beale MUSIC FOR SOPRANO & ORCH, Op 34 sop (solo), 2-2(eh)-2,bcl-2,2-2-3-1,perc,cel,str
    James Beale PASTORALE FOR ORGAN, Op 25
    org
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 1st; Op 6
    pf
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 2nd, Op. 8 pf
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 3rd; Op.9 pf
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 4th, Op. 11
    Piano solo
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 6th; Op 13
    pf
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 7th; Op 20
    pf
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 8th; Op 31
    James Beale PIANO SONATA, 9th; Op.45
    pf
    James Beale PISCES ASCENDING, Op, 38
    perc, pf
    James Beale POEM, Op. 54
    pf

    Additional Works

    • How Beautiful Are the Dwellings of Piece, Opus 24 – a hymn/choral piece composed in 1957-58 (Dow Publishing)