Bassett, Leslie (b. January 22, 1923, Hanford, California). American composer of orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, piano, and organ works that have been performed in the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Prof. Bassett had training in cello, piano, trombone, and other instruments as a child and studied composition with Ross Lee Finney at the University of Michigan from 1947-49 and 1952-56. He also studied composition with Arthur Honegger at the École Normale de Musique de Paris and analysis privately with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in 1950-51, both on a Fulbright Scholarship. He later had private studies in composition with Roberto Gerhard in Ann Arbor in 1960 and in electronic music with Mario Davidovsky in Ann Arbor in 1964.

His honors include the Prix de Rome (1961-63), the Pulitzer Prize (1966, for Variations for Orchestra), two Guggenheim fellowships (1973-74, 1980-81), and the Naumburg Foundation Recording Award (1974, for Sextet [piano, strings]). He has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1976 and has earned grants from the Koussevitzky Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Prof. Bassett is also active in other positions. He worked as an arranger and trombonist in the 13th Armored Division during World War II.

He taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1952-91, where he was chair of the composition department from 1970-88 and the Albert A. Stanley Distinguished University Professor of Music from 1977-91, now emeritus. He was also a co-founder of its electronic music studio in 1964 and of its Contemporary Directions Performance Ensemble in 1966.

Edition Peters publishes most of his music.

COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS

ORCHESTRAL: Five Movements for Orchestra, large orchestra, 1961; Variations for Orchestra, 1963; Designs, Images and Textures, symphonic band, 1964; Colloquy, large orchestra, 1968; Forces, violin, cello, piano, orchestra, 1972; Echoes from an Invisible World, 1974-75; Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, 1976; Sounds, Shapes and Symbols, symphonic band, 1977; Concerto Grosso, French horn, 2 trumpets, bass trombone, tuba, symphonic band, 1982; Concerto Lirico, trombone, orchestra, 1983; Colors and Contours, symphonic band, 1984; Lullaby, symphonic band, 1985; From a Source Evolving, large orchestra, 1985; Fantasy, clarinet, symphonic band, 1986; Concerto for Orchestra, large orchestra, 1991; Thoughts that Sing, Breathe and Burn, large orchestra, 1995; Wood and Reed Transformed, bassoon, symphonic band, 1998; Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, 1999

CHAMBER MUSIC: Quartet, 4 trombones, 1949; Sonata, French horn, piano, 1952; Trio, French horn, trumpet, trombone, 1953; Trio, clarinet, viola, piano, 1953; Quintet, string quartet, double bass, 1954; Sonata, trombone, piano, 1954; Sonata, viola, piano, 1956; Five Pieces, string quartet, 1957; Suite, trombone, 1957; Wind Quintet, flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, 1958; Sonata, violin, piano, 1959; Duets, 2 celli, 1959; Quintet for Piano and String Quartet, 1962; String Quartet No. 3, 1962; Music for Cello and Piano, 1966; Nonet, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, piano, 1967; Music for Alto Saxophone and Piano, 1968; Sextet, piano, 2 violins, 2 violas, cello, 1971; Sounds Remembered, violin, piano, 1972; Music for Four Horns, 1974; 12 Duos, 2/4 trombones, 1974; Wind Music, flute, oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bassoon, French horn, 1975; Soliloquies, clarinet, 1976; String Quartet No. 4, 1978; Sextet, flute, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, cello, double bass, 1979; Trio, clarinet, violin, piano, 1980; Concerto da camera, trumpet, ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, percussion), 1981; Temperaments, guitar, 1979-83

CHAMBER MUSIC: Duo concertante, alto saxophone, piano, 1984; Salute, 5 trumpets, 1985; Dialogues, oboe, piano, 1987; Duo-Inventions, 2 celli, 1988; Brass Quintet, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, 1988; Illuminations, flute, piano, 1989; Metamorphoses, bassoon, 1990; Arias, clarinet, piano, 1992; Narratives, 4 guitars, 1993; Song and Dance, tuba, piano, 1993; Three Equale, 4 trombones, 1996; Trio-Inventions, 3 celli, 1996; The Three Graces, 3 flutes, 2000; Song of the Aulos, oboe, 2000; Hammered Strings and Whistling Pipes, piano, organ, 2003

CHORAL: The Lamb (text by William Blake), mixed chorus, piano, 1952; Out of the Depths (text from Psalm 130), mixed chorus, organ, 1957; For City, Nation, World (cantata, texts from the Service Book and Hymnal), tenor, children's chorus ad libitum, mixed chorus, congregational chorus, 4 trombones, organ, 1959; Moonrise (text by D.H. Lawrence), female chorus, piccolo, flute, alto flute, violin, 2 violas, cello, piano, 2 percussion, 1960; Remembrance (text by Hoover Rupert), mixed chorus, organ, 1960; Eclogue, Encomium and Evocation (text from the Song of Solomon), female chorus, harp, piano, 2 percussion, 1962; Follow Now that Bright Star (carol, text by the composer), mixed chorus, 1962; Prayers for Divine Service, male chorus, organ, 1965; Hear My Prayer, O Lord (text from Psalm 64), children's/female chorus, organ, 1965; Notes in the Silence (text by Dag Hammarskjöld [translated by Leif Sjöberg, Wystan Hugh Auden]), mixed chorus, piano, 1966; Collect (text by the composer, after a church service), mixed chorus, 2-track tape, 1969; Moon Canticle (texts by John Milton, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Sir Philip Sidney, Timothy Harley, Theocritus [English translation], William Shakespeare, Francis Thompson, the composer, the Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens, Joaquin Miller, Sir Richard Burton, John Keats, Life magazine, other sources), soprano, amplified speaker, mixed chorus, cello, 1969

CHORAL: Celebration in Praise of Earth (texts from Psalms 24, 104, 115, 113, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Henry David Thoreau, Walter Savage Landor, Walt Whitman, William Shakespeare, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Wordsworth, the Quran [English translation], the composer), amplified speaker, mixed chorus, orchestra, 1970; Of Wind and Earth (texts by Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Cullen Bryant, St. Francis of Assisi [English translation]), mixed chorus, piano, 1973; A Ring of Emeralds (texts from an anonymous 14th-century Irish source, Gerald Griffin, Jonathan Swift, anonymous 9th-century Irish source [translated by George Sigerson], John Boyle O'Reilly), mixed chorus, piano, 1979; Sing to the Lord (text from Psalm 95), mixed chorus, organ, 1981; Lord, who hast formed me (text by George Herbert), mixed chorus, organ, 1981; Whoe'er She Be (text by Robert Crashaw), female chorus, piano, 1986; Almighty, Eternal (text by the composer), mixed chorus, organ, 1990; Maker of Our Being (text by the composer), mixed chorus, organ, 1993; Come, Thou long-expected Jesus – Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken (hymns), mixed unison chorus, organ, 2003

VOCAL: Four Songs (texts by William Blake, George Herbert, Edwin Arlington Robinson), soprano, piano, 1953; To Music (texts by Ben Jonson, Robert Herrick, William Billings), soprano/tenor, piano, 1962; The Jade Garden (texts by Ki no Tsurayuki, Kyohaku, Li Po, anonymous Japanese source [English translations]), soprano, piano, 1973; Time and Beyond (texts by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Rabindranath Tagore [English translation], Mark Van Doren), baritone, clarinet, cello, piano, 1973; Love Songs (texts from an anonymous Greek source [English translation], Walter Savage Landor, Anne Bradstreet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Harrington), soprano, piano, 1975; Pierrot Songs (text by Albert Giraud [translated by Otto Erich Hartleben]), soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 1988; Two Stephens Songs (text by James Stephens), baritone, piano, 1996-98

PIANO: Six Pieces, 1951; Mobile, 1961; Elaborations, 1966; Preludes, 1984; Configurations, 1987

ORGAN: Toccata, 1955; Voluntaries, 1958; Four Statements, 1964; Liturgies, 1980; Music for Organ, 2002, revised 2004

CARILLON: A Masque of Bells, 1980

DISCOGRAPHY

Configurations. Richard Reber, piano (Kanzona: CKU 395) (cassette)

Narratives. Minneapolis Guitar Quartet (Albany: 207)

Brass Quintet. Chestnut Brass Company (Albany: 233)

Arias. Nathan Williams, clarinet; Audrey Andrist, piano (Albany: 311)

Variations for Orchestra; Echoes from an Invisible World; Sextet (piano, strings). John Graham, viola; Gilbert Kalish, piano; Concord String Quartet; Jonathan Sternberg/Sinfonieorchester des Schweizer Radios Zürich; Sergiu Comissiona/Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (CRI: 677)

Dialogues. Harry Sargous, oboe; Robert Conway, piano (Crystal: CD326)

Suite. Ralph Sauer, trombone (Crystal: 5381)

Duo concertante. Clifford Leaman, alto saxophone; Derek Parsons, piano (Equilibrium: EQ 21)

Lullaby. H. Robert Reynolds/University of Michigan Symphonic Band (Equilibrium: EQ 45)

Sounds Remembered; Preludes; Elaborations; Configurations; Mobile; Six Pieces. Wendolyn Olson, violin; Gabriela Lena Frank, piano (Equilibrium: EQ 51)

Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra. Clifford Leaman, alto saxophone; Kenneth Kiesler/University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra (Equilibrium: EQ 63)

Suite. Christian Lindberg, trombone (Fermat: FLPS 49)

Lullaby. Eugene Corporon/North Texas Wind Symphony (Klavier: 11089)

Colors and Contours. Eugene Corporon/North Texas Wind Symphony (Klavier: 11091)

Trio (clarinet, violin, piano). Verdehr Trio (Leonarda: LE 326)

Lullaby. Robert Levy/Lawrence University Wind Ensemble (Mark: MCD-1302)

Thoughts that Sing, Breathe and Burn; Concerto Lirico; Concerto for Orchestra. H. Dennis Smith, trombone; Vit Micka/Moravian Philharmonic; Gerard Schwarz/Seattle Symphony Orchestra (MMC: 2090)

Music for Alto Saxophone and Piano. Donald Sinta, alto saxophone; Ellen Weckler, piano (New World: 80541)

A Ring of Emeralds. Emily Lowe Singers (Northeastern: NR 241)

Elaborations. Max Lifchitz, piano (North/South: N/S R1014)

Duo concertante. Kenneth Fischer, alto saxophone; Richard Zimdars, piano (One World)

From a Source Evolving. Joel Suben/Janácek Philharmonic (Opus One: 156)

Arias; Illuminations. Fred Ormand, flute; Ellen Weckler, piano; Bryan-Keys Duo (Opus One: 161)

Colors and Contours. University of Miami Wind Ensemble (Stevens: STR920002)