Musical Innovator Gunther Schuller to Turn 75

Boston, MA -- On November 22, 2000, multi-faceted composer, conductor, author, and purveyor of independent music Gunther Schuller will celebrate his 75th birthday. Concerts, radio tributes, and other celebrations are already planned through 2001 to honor the Pulitzer Prize winner's landmark year.

Schuller, who has left indelible marks on many different aspects of 20th Century music, began as a French horn player in a major symphony at 17. Over the next sixty years, he would perform on landmark jazz and classical recordings, become one of the foremost American composers of his generation, alter the course of music education, help resurrect the music of Scott Joplin, conduct major orchestras around the world, author critically-acclaimed scholarly works, and create publishing companies and an independent record label to support the work of under-appreciated musicians.

Because he has worked behind the scenes in many cases to push jazz and classical music forward, Schuller has forgone the popularity of his more commercial contemporaries. Although he has won major honors like the Grammy, Pulitzer, and MacArthur Genius Award, most of Schuller's efforts have taken place outside the vision of the casual music fan. For the discerning listener, however, Schuller's work with luminaries like Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, Arturo Toscanini, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and many others created classic moments which changed the face of modern music.

Now one of the elder statesman of post-second world war jazz and classical artists, Schuller lives the dichotomy of outspoken critic of the status quo and member of the upper-echelons of the musical academy. Though time and a unique career have allowed him to rise to some of the most prestigious positions in music, his inclusive vision of quality music and penchant for sharp-edged commentary are still in tact.

In spite of his reputation as a literalist, Schuller continues to open doors for those who refuse to work within easily-classified categories. He also works with a vast array of musicians like Elvis Costello and Frank Zappa while somehow being dismissed as a traditionalist. Balancing a love for masters like Beethoven with an ear for innovative new talent, Schuller answers his detractors with a simply-stated ethos: “My only ideology is quality."