His postgraduate study was at the University of Hawaii, the University of North Carolina, Catholic University, the University of Washington, and Columbia Teachers College.. Diercks taugh
Trang 1John Diercks was born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1927 He holds degrees from Oberlin, the
Eastman School, and the University of Rochester (PhD) His composition teachers included Howard Hanson and Alan Hovhaness For Asian music and dance he studied with Dorothy Kahananui and Halla Huhm His postgraduate study was at the University of Hawaii, the University of North Carolina, Catholic University, the University of Washington, and Columbia Teachers College
Dr Diercks taught piano at the College of Wooster (1950-54), then began a long tenure at Hollins University, teaching theory and composition He served as Music Department Chair from 1962 until 1990 and was Chair for the Sallie Gray Shepherd Concert Series (1962-1990)
In southern Virginia, Dr Diercks was Music Chair of the Roanoke Valley Bicentennial
Celebration (1975-1976) and President of the Chrystal Springs Music Publishers, Inc (1978-1998)
Among many grants and awards he has received are those from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Southern Foundation for the Humanities, the Mellon and Danforth Foundations (5 times), and ASCAP (15 times) As a composer he has enjoyed residence at the MacDowell Colony, Wolf Trap Farm, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
Much of Diercks’ music is influenced by exoticism, including microtonality and
“unconventional” musical sounds An early work, Cave Music for vocalise and three players
on prepared piano, accompanied a dance performed in Virginia’s Dixie Caverns and
broadcast on NBC-TV’s Today Show
Trang 2His Suite No.2 for Orchestra was performed by the National Gallery Orchestra, Washington,
D.C., Richard Bales conducting Renowned pianist Roy Hamlin Johnson performed four of Dr
Diercks’ 12 Sonatinas on the American Music series at the National Gallery.
The Twelve Sonatinas, commissioned and performed by pianist Marthanne Verbit, are in the
catalog of Albany Records In 2009 the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America published his
Fugue in C (for Elizabeth Graves Vitu) and Fantasia (commissioned by the University of
Iowa-Ames)
Over 125 of Dr Diercks’ music has been published, for piano, voice, choral, chamber
ensemble, and carillon He has written more than 200 reviews and articles in newspapers and journals, and authored two chapters published in the Denes Agay book “Teaching Piano”
Diercks lived in Honolulu, and served as president of the Hawaii Music Teachers Association from 1992-96 Since then he has composed/arranged extensively for the Oahu Piano
Quartet, and continued to compose for the carillon
John Diercks passed away in April 2020, at 92 years old
WORKS FOR CARILLON
Op 35 Three Pieces for Carillon (1957)
Kongạ: The Soul of the Great Bell 4:30
Op 72 Carillon Pieces
Prelude on O Sacred Head (1979) 2:00
Op 85 An Easter Triptych (1984/2009)
Crown Him with Many crowns (Diademata) 2:30
The Day of Resurrection (Ellacombe) 2:30
Alleluias Solemn and Joyous (1994) 6:00
Arranged by E.G.Vitu
Trang 3A Cross-Section of His 60-Year Compositional Range
Clap your hands! for voices and keyboard
Concertino for piano and woodwind quintet
Divertimento for woodwind quintet
Dove of Peace, early American hymn-settings for unison voices with organ and handbells
Figures on China for horn, trombone, and tuba
Moonspell for flute and piano
Of Mountain and Valley (for the Roanoke Symphony)
Sonata for oboe and piano
Suite for flute and piano
Suite for Strings for string orchestra
Suite No 1 for piano duet
Suite No 2 for orchestra
Theme and Variations for piano
Three Diversions for flute (alto recorder) and piano (or harpsichord)
Toward the Summer Land for two pianos
Twelve Sonatinas for piano
Variations on a Flower Drum Song for two prepared pianos
Variations on a theme of Gottschalk for tuba and piano
Vienna: For a Time and Place for two pianos
The Warriorʻs Ghost Returns to Play his Lute (Jeanne Larsen) for baritone and string quartet
Woodwind Quintet