Modern Music and After: Directions Since 1945
by Paul Griffiths
Period: Late 20th Century
Born: Thursday, May 27, 1948 in Washington, IN (USA)
As of April 2004 this composer is still living.
To report updated information, please see the Contact Info page.
Nation of Origin: United States
Major Works:
Published Works (for Band unless otherwise indicated)
A Lonely Flute {Solo Flute} (RBC)
A rocky headland amid wild winds {Brass Choir} (RBC)
American Songs (SMC)
Chateau Le Bombadier Marche (RBC)
Concert Etudes for Solo Tuba Vol. I (SMC)
Concert Etudes for Solo Tuba vol. II (SMC)
Christmas in The Netherlands (RBC)
David‚s Lyre (RBC)
Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) (RBC)
dim points of light(RBC)
Down Longford Way--Grainger/Osmon (RBC)
Elegy for Tuba and Small Orchestra (RBC)
Elegy: Sixteen Minuets from Home (Summer 2004 ˆ RBC)
Enigmatic Variations (RBC)
Four Dutch Hymns (RBC)
Fanfare, Elegy, and Dance (RBC)
Fantasies for Solo Clarinet (Fall 2004 ˆ RBC)
Feet {Percussion Sextet} (RBC)
Hanszen Parish Overture (TRN)
Hebrew Folk Song Suite (TRN)
Hebrew Folk Song Suite No. 2 (TRN)
Hebrew Folk Song Suite No. 3 (RBC)
Hebrew Rhapsody (RBC)
Holliday Festival Overture (RBC)
Huapango--Moncayo/Osmon (Peer Music)
In Memory of a Summer Day (RBC)
Introduction and Allegro {Brass Quintet} (Fall 2004 - RBC)
March 104 (RBC)
Modinha: For Debra, in May {Solo Cello} (RBC)
Music for Five Winds {Woodwind Quintet} (RBC)
Prelude and Dance (Akdam ve Reekood) (RBC)
Prelude: A Dream I've Had {Brass Sextet} (SMC)
Prelude from "49th Parallel"--Vaughn-Williams/Osmon (G&M London)
Scotch Strathspey and Reel--Grainger/Osmon (TRN)
Shenandoah--Grainger/Osmon (RBC)
Sonatina for Trumpet and Viola (Fall 2004 ˆ RBC)
Suite for Solo Cello "Echoes from Merida" (RBC)
Symphony for Winds and Percussion When things are still (RBC)
The Hanukkah Gift (RBC)
The Kesten Suite for Flute and Tuba (RBC)
The Kole Suite for Flute and Violin (RBC)
The Midnight Culmination of Sirius (RBC)
Three Poems by Hugh Scott {Soprano, Flute, B. Clar., Horn and Cello} (RBC)
Tuqa Gloria Emmeles (RBC)
West Point Songs (TRN)
Yiskor {Mezzo Soprano and Soprano Sax} (RBC)
Zeraim {Solo Sop. Sax/Violin, Mezzo Sop.,Fl., B. Clar., Horn, Cello and Perc.} (Spring 2005 ˆ RBC)
Recent compositions include:
Sonatina for Trumpet and Viola
Frescos de Bonampak (Octet No. 2 for 8 tubas)
Elegy: Sixteen Minutes from Home (symphonic band)
The Kesten Suite for Flute and Tuba
Hebrew Rhapsody (symphonic band)
Hebrew Folk Song Suite No. 3 (symphonic band)
Fantasies for Solo Clarinet (revised)
Other Information:
Although born May 27, 1948 in Washington, Indiana, Leroy Osmon grew up and lived for 44 years in east Texas. As a student in the Texas public school system he studied clarinet and saxophone. His first composition and orchestration teacher was Charles "Pete" Wiley. Osmon holds degrees from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas (B.S.), a Masters of Music from Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, Texas) in composition (studying with Fisher Tull), conducting (Gary Sousa) and musicology (James Marks). While working on his DMA at the University of Houston, Osmon studied composition with Michael Horvit and conducting with Eddie Green.
Osmon continues to receive commissions for all music genres and he has received the ASCAP Standard Music Award for Composition 12 times and the Medallion La Ville De Contrexeville (Contrexeville, France) twice. His works have been performed at every major music conference in the United States. The year 2003 marked the eleventh consecutive year for his music to be performed at the prestigious Midwest International Music Clinic. Leroy Osmon was one of 5 composers selected to have their music studied and presented at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles 1988 conference in Manchester, England. Paula Crider, then University of Texas director, presented his Symphony for Winds and Percussion at the WASBE conference. His music has been performed throughout the United States of America as well as in Europe, Australia, Japan, Israel and Mexico.
Most recent performances include premiers in Houston, Chicago, San Antonio, Xalapa (Veracruz, Mexico), Merida (Yucatan, Mexico) and New York‚s famous Carnegie Hall. Osmon‚s published works number more than 45, including a new book on the composer Percy Grainger. Recordings of Osmon‚s compositions are available from Mark Custom Recording Service and include works for band, chamber ensemble and the complete score to his ballet "A Sea of Seven Colors". Published works are available from RBC Music in San Antonio, Texas.
After working for 30 years as a public school band director and teaching as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston, Osmon now lives in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico with his wife Dr. Cay Smith Osmon and their three cats (Baby, Miss Kitty and BooBoo Bear). He is presently a consultant with both the Institute of Culture for the State of Yucatan and for the University of Yucatan (UADY) chamber orchestra.
For more information, contact Leroy Osmon at leroy_osmon@yahoo.com.
Essay contributed by:
Leroy Osmon
General Bibliography:
Kennedy, Michael, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 1997, ISBN: 0198691629
Lampert, Vera; Kemp, Ian; and White, Eric Walter, The New Grove Modern Masters (The New Grove Series), W. W. Norton & Company, November 1997, ISBN: 0393315924
Sadie, Stanley and Tyrrell, John; Editors, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Groves Dictionaries, Inc., January 2001, ISBN: 1561592390
Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, Laura; Editors, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Gale Group, December 2000, ISBN: 0028655257
Slonimsky, Nicolas, Music Since 1900, Schirmer Books, July 1994, ISBN: 0028724186
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