Leslie Bassett

Biography

Leslie Bassett (born 22 January 1923 in Hanford, Calif. d. 2016 Oakwood, GA) was an American composer  and Albert A. Stanley Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Composition at the University of Michigan.  Early instrumental training in Fresno, Calif., led to service during World War II as a trombonist and arranger with the 13th Armored Division Band in France and Germany.  Following the war he attended Fresno State College and was Principal Trombone with the Fresno Symphony.  Bassett's long association with the University of Michigan began in 1947: his composition studies with Homer Keller and Ross Lee Finney were interrupted by a Fulbright Fellowship for study in Paris with Arthur Honegger at l'Ecole Normale de Musique and with Nadia Boulanger in her private studio.  In addition he studied at Michigan with Argentine-American composer Mario Davidovsky and with Catalan composer Roberto Gerhard.  Leslie Bassett was a recipient of the Prix de Rome (1961-3), the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Variations for Orchestra, Guggenheim Fellowships, the Naumburg Recording Award, and awards from the Koussevitsky Music Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.  Since 1981 he has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

A number of Bassett's students at the University of Michigan have themselves had distinguished careers in music: among them are Lettie Alston, Kevin Beavers, Thomas Clark, Gabriela Lena Frank, Paul Yeon Lee, John Anthony Lennon, Gerald Near, P. Q. Phan, Preston Stahly, Frank Ticheli, and Richard Toensing.

Leslie Bassett's music is published by the C. F. Peters Corporation, Merion Music (Theodore Presser), Editions Alphonse Leduc, the E. C. Schirmer Music Company, and World Library Publications but several early works are available from American Composers Alliance.

  • String Quintet
  • ACE Publications

    24 title(s)
    Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
    Leslie Bassett CANTATA FOR CITY, NATION,WORLD SATB, tenor solo,tbn(4),org
    Leslie Bassett CELLO DUETS 2 cellos
    Leslie Bassett EASTER TRIPTYCH solo T, 4 tpt, 4 tbn, 4 hns, 2 bar, tba, timp, perc
    Leslie Bassett ECLOGUE, ENCOMIUM & EVOCATION SSA chorus,Perc, cel,Hp,Pf
    Leslie Bassett FIVE MOVEMENTS FOR ORCHESTRA pic-2-2-ehn-2-bcl-2-cbsn, 4-3-3-1, timp,perc(3), pf, str
    Leslie Bassett FOUR SONGS High Voice and Piano
    Leslie Bassett FOUR STATEMENTS FOR ORGAN Organ
    Leslie Bassett HOMMAGE Á ARTHUR HONEGGER Piano
    Leslie Bassett LAMB SATB, pf
    Leslie Bassett MOONRISE
    SSA,pf,perc(2),3 fl(pic & alto), vln, viola(2), vcl
    Leslie Bassett OUT OF THE DEPTHS
    SATB w/org
    Leslie Bassett PRAYERS FOR DIVINE SERVICE ttbb,w/org
    Leslie Bassett PSALM 123
    children's chor (3 parts), pf or org
    Leslie Bassett QUINTET FOR PIANO AND STRINGS pf, vn(2),vla,vc
    Leslie Bassett QUINTET FOR STRINGS
    2vln, vla, vcl, db
    Leslie Bassett SIX PIANO PIECES pf
    Leslie Bassett SONATA FOR VIOLA & PIANO Viola and Piano
    Leslie Bassett SONATA FOR VIOLIN & PIANO vln, pf
    Leslie Bassett THIRD STRING QUARTET string quartet
    Leslie Bassett TOCCATA FOR ORGAN org
    Leslie Bassett TRIO FOR CLARINET, VIOLA AND PIANO
    cl,vla,pf
    Leslie Bassett VOLUNTARIES for organ Organ
    Leslie Bassett WOODWIND QUINTET Wind Quintet
    Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn

    Additional Works

    Many works by Leslie Bassett are published by the C. F. Peters Corporation, Merion Music (Theodore Presser), Editions Alphonse Leduc, the E. C. Schirmer Music Company, and World Library Publications.