Gordon Ware Binkerd was an American classical music composer and pianist.
12 Facts About Gordon Binkerd
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The son of Archibald and Verna Jones Binkerd, Gordon Binkerd was born in the Ponca Reservation in Lynch, Nebraska on May 22,1916.
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Gordon Binkerd's talent was first discovered at age fifteen when he was chosen as one of the five best pianists in America at a national competition in Marion, Indiana.
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In 1933, Binkerd left home to attend Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota.
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Gordon Binkerd was influenced by teachers who nurtured his interest in literature and poetry.
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In 1940, Gordon Binkerd started masters studies at the Eastman School of Music, graduating with a degree in composition in 1941.
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Gordon Binkerd's skills were refined as a student of Walter Piston and as teaching assistant to Irving Fine.
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In 1949, Gordon Binkerd became a theorist and composer at the University of Illinois.
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Gordon Binkerd retired from academia in 1971 in order to fully devote himself to composition.
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Gordon Binkerd's writing was brought to an end by the onset of Alzheimer's disease in 1996.
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Gordon Binkerd died of Alzheimer's disease Friday, September 5,2003 at his Urbana, Illinois home.
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In 1964, Gordon Binkerd received the National Institute of Arts and Letters award.