Tuthill, Burnet Corwin

Tuthill, Burnet Corwin, American composer and conductor; b. N.Y., Nov. 16, 1888; d. Knoxville, Term., Jan. 18, 1982. His father, William Burnet Tuthill, was the architect of Carnegie Hall in N.Y. He studied at Columbia Univ. (B.A., 1909; M.A., 1910) and the Cincinnati Coll. of Music (M.M., 1935). He conducted the Columbia Univ. Orch. (1909-13). In 1919 he organized the Soc. for Publication of American Music, which continued to function for nearly half a century, and which publ. about 85 works by American composers; also was executive secretary of the National Assn. of Schools of Music in Cincinnati (1924-59). After serving as general manager of the Cincinnati Coll. of Music (1922-30), he was head of the music dept. at Southwestern Univ. in Memphis (1935-59); also was conductor of the Memphis Sym. Orch. (1938-46) and head of the fine arts dept. of Shrivenham American Univ. in England (1945). He began to compose rather late in life, but compensated for this delay by increasing productivity in subsequent years. His autobiography was publ. as Recollections of a Musical Life, 1900-74 (Memphis, 1974).

Works

orch: Bethlehem,pastorale (Interlochen, Mich., July 22, 1934); Laurentia,symphonic poem (Rochester, N.Y., Oct. 30, 1936); Come 7,rhapsody (1935; St. Louis, Feb. 19, 1944); Sym. (1940); Concertos for clarinet (1949), double bass (1962), saxophone (1965), trombone (1967), and tuba (1975). OTHER: Numerous pieces with a multiplicity of clarinets; Flute Sonata; Oboe Sonata; Trumpet Sonata; Saxophone Sonata; a plethora of sacred choruses.

Bibliography

J. Raines, B.C. T.: His Life and Music (diss., Mich. State Univ., 1979).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire