B.Mus., Peabody Conservatory of Music, Baltimore, Maryland (1969)
M.Mus., Peabody Conservatory of Music (1970)
Principal teachers: Stefan Grove, Earle Brown, Richard Rodney Bennett

Ronald Roxbury, an American composer of Afro-American heritage, was born in 1946 in Maryland. Growing up under segregation did nothing to stop him from exploring the world of the intellect, including music, and by the time he entered the Peabody Conservatory in 1965 his knowledge of contemporary music was phenomenal and cutting-edge. He had begun composing seriously while still in high school, and his early works show the influence of Boulez, in terms of organization of musical materials, and of Bussotti, in notational experimentation. In the area of performance, Roxbury studied voice and flute, and such early works as the Sonatina for Flute and Harpsichord reflect his interest in the use of extended sound techniques developed by personal experimentation.

At Peabody his teachers included first Stefan Grove, and then, most importantly, Earle Brown. Working with Brown, and participating in the Contemporary Performing Ensemble that Brown had founded, further developed Roxbury's sense of theater and of avant-garde experimention in open-form structure.

In 1967 Roxbury developed a form of notation that drew on both traditional notation and experimental graphic notation (pioneered by Brown), and that coalesced into a notational technique that he used throughout his writing...that of a single-line staff. Based on his knowledge of notational experiment in the 1400s and 1500s by composers such as Binchois, and of the esthetic sensibilities of Machaut and the Notre Dame school, this notation took three paths of development.

The first was in the composition of pieces that were wholly interpretated notationally, such as Insect Fear for countertenor and piano. Briefly summarized, a single-line staff (in place of the four-line Gregorian or five-line contemporary piano staff) served as a centered locus around which abstracted notes were interpreted according to their distance from the center staff line. Elaborate but easily-read, these works vary only in the details of the sound, never the large-scale structure. His large series 16 Preludes for Piano is also in this style, which can be applied to any instrument, including voice.

The second style was a combination of pictorial and notational graphics. These pieces were not only notated musical scores but incredibly intricate visual images, for Roxbury was extraordinarily gifted as a draftsman. People were tempted to frame the compositions and hang them on the wall. Works like Joe for solo guitar, and An Attack of Flies on a Stalwart Bust of Nefertiti for any ensemble combination, are a true hybrid of music notation and art.

The third path he pursued involved the combination of theater and music, still expressed in notationally graphic form. These pieces had strong theatrical elements, such as the astounding Le Werewolf s'amuse, written "for a stand-up cabaret-type performer with wolf-mask and tuxedo, and three percussionists." I still remember the first performance of this piece at a branch of the New York Public Library, with Roxbury playing the wolf part...total shock might be an apt description of the audience's reaction. Other such pieces were Le Sofa de Solfege, "for guitarist and alluring siren on a sofa singing solfege," Gemini, written for the twins Gordon and Jay Gottlieb and "performed in a large bag (womb)," and Esau Wood,"for three players with carpentry instruments, and Marlene Dietrich imitator." The range of his imagination was seemingly endless. There were some fascinating planned, but unwritten pieces such as Huntsville "for hunting dogs and hunting instruments," intended as one of a series of "Incest Pieces" for "families" of instruments.

Roxbury received his masters degree from Peabody in 1970 but was denied entry to the doctoral program because of the racially disciminatory policies of the school at that time. Bitterly disappointed, he moved to New York, where he worked at various jobs and sang with several performing ensembles. He participated in the first production of Leonard Bernstein's Mass at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and appeared with the original company of Phillip Glass's Einstein on the Beach in tours of Europe and the United States and performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He also performed and toured with the Gregg Smith Singers and wrote several pieces for the ensemble, including the one-act opera Leda and the Velvet Gentleman, recorded by Smith for Grenadilla Records with Roxbury and this author performing the four-hand piano part.

Ronald Roxbury died of AIDS in New York at the age of 40 in 1986. His last piece was a setting of Walt Whitman's "Goodbye My Fancy," written for his long-time friends David Starobin and Patrick Mason, who have recorded the work.

Some personal observations, based on our being best friends and fellow composers during our Peabody years:

Ron was the most open person I ever met. Never was a person more pure spirit, beyond caring in the least about a person's background in terms of sexual orientation, racial heritage, economic situation, or any other personal parameters whatsoever. His was a soaring singing soul, with a tremendous range of earthly knowledge. He loved people, and although he never made much if any money from his compositions, he embraced every new project with excitement.

I can hear him now, singing Verdi (he dearly loved opera and never missed a Metropolitan Opera broadcast), or Perotin, or Faure, or Ives...everything. I can see him performing in his own theater works... such as Apotheosis and Dirge in E-flat, which we first did in Baltimore...or playing first the flute and then the piano in a television performance of Cancrizans for Two Pianists, adapted so that we could exchange instruments during the performance.

His legacy is his stunning work, consisting of approximately 80 compositions. The manuscripts were graciously donated by his family to the Peabody Library and are available to scholars and performers. This collection still needs further attention and cataloguing. But it is a rich resource for any pianist wanting to try the etudes, any vocalist interested in the songs or operas, indeed any musician looking for aural and graphic beauty.

—William Bland (2001)

WORKS:

PIANO/KEYBOARD

Accompagnement Officium Simplex
for: organ
date: ca. 1964
source: Peabody

Brou-haha (A Free-for-All for Two Pianos)
for: two pianos, 7-hands (see note below)
date: ca. 1970
note: Piano 1: left hand alone. Piano 2: 6-hands with percussion
source: Peabody; New York Public Library

Cancrizans
for: keyboard(s)
date: 1970
source: Peabody

Combination Cyclops
for: piano
date: 1974
source: Peabody

16 Preludes for Piano
for: piano
date: ca. 1978
source: Peabody

Tableaux, or Pictures of an Exhibitionist
for: piano
date: 1970
source: Peabody

3 Transcendental Etudes
for: piano
date: 1972
note: title of last etude: "Chicken Dreams."
source: Peabody

[Untitled] [3 one-page pieces, not a set]
for: piano
date: one piece is dated 1974
source: Peabody

[Untitled]
for: keyboard and possibly chord organ
date: c.1970
source: Peabody

SOLO INSTRUMENTS

4 Preludes for Accordion
for: accordion
date: 1965
note: "for Ray Bitzel"
source: Peabody

Googol I
for: flute
date: ca. 1970
duration: 3:00
source: Peabody

Haiku
for: guitar
date: 1968

Joe
for: guitar
date: 1975
note: graphic score
published: Editions New Rochelle (forthcoming)
source: William Bland

Pygmies
for: violin
date: c.1973
source: Peabody

3 Pieces for Accordion
for: accordion
date: c.1972
source: Peabody

2 Dodecaphonic Episodes
for: bassoon
date: ca. 1968
source: Peabody

ORCHESTRA/ LARGE ENSEMBLE

An Attack of Flys on a Stalwart Bust of Nefertiti
for: any ensemble combination
date: ca. 1971
source: Estate of Ronald Roxbury

Concerto Grosso
for: wind sextet (flute, oboe, B-flat clarinet, trumpet, horn, bassoon), string orchestra, 2 percussionists
date: ca. 1960
source: Peabody

Gemini/Geminorum: A Creation Allegory (concert overture)
for: piano, percussion, theatrical devices
date: c.1984
note: nontraditional notation
source: Peabody

Risen Siren Resin Rinse (concert overture)
for: orchestra
date: c.1980
source: Peabody

CHAMBER MUSIC

Aria for Cello and Piano
for: cello and piano
date: 1969
published: Composers' Autograph Publications

Ecstasies for MI-GO or Several Bags of the Abominable Snowman
    Home, after years away
    Piccolo, his journey
    Candy-coated Sex Surprise
for: guitars, cellos, piccolo
date: 1968
source: Peabody

Grenades
for: flute, guitar and contrabass
date: 1969
source: Peabody

Music for My Mother
for: piano and strings
date: ca. 1960
source: Peabody

Quasimodo at Wit's End
for: flute, guitar, bass
date: ca. 1970
note: four movements
source: Peabody

Sonatina for Flute and Harpsichord
for: flute and harpsichord
date: ca. 1965
source: Peabody

Spanische Lieder
for: flute and clarinet
date: ca. 1964
note: last movement is a conga
source: Peabody

String Quartet in A
for: string quartet
date: ca. 1962
note: modal piece
source: Peabody

[Untitled]
for: 3 treble instruments
date: ca. 1972
source: Peabody

VOCAL

All God's Chillun (Got Shoes) (arrangement)
for: bass and piano
date: undetermined
source: Peabody

Canon
for: 3 treble voices
date: ?
note: "no words"
source: Peabody

Carnal Vespers
for: 2 drone singers and piano
date: ca. 1975
source: Peabody

Chant des Oiseaux
    Rampage des oiseaux
    Mon merle
for: voice and piano
date: ca. 1970
text: ?
source: Peabody

Driscoll Songs
    Crazy Jane
    It's Snowing in the Park
    Her Porcelain Pale Feet Weave
    I Am Seagulling
for: baritone and guitar with water obbligato
date: 1974-75
text: Dale Driscoll
source: Peabody

Four Simple Songs
for: voice and piano
date: ca. 1974
text: ?
note: "for Shirley Baines"
source: Peabody

Great Spirit of Light
    Balloon
    Voice
    Toy Piano
    4 Triangles
for: soprano and percussion
date: ca. 1974
text: ?
note: theatrical elements
source: Peabody

Insect Fear (vocalise)
for: counter-tenor and piano
date: 1972-73
note: can be performed with any one-voice sustaining instrument.
source: Peabody

Le Sofa de Solfege
for: soprano and guitar
date: 1974
text: Ronald Roxbury
note: alternate title: Jean Harlow, or, The Chaise-longue
source: Peabody

Portable Song
for: voice and glockenspiel
date: ca. 1974
source: Peabody

September
for: voice and piano
date: 1977
text: Hermann Hesse
source: Peabody

Serenade
for: male voice and percussion, with alto flute and cello obbligati
date: c.1972
text: ?
source: Peabody

Two Whitman Songs
for: baritone, flute and guitar
date: 1986
text: Walt Whitman
published: Editions New Rochelle (forthcoming)

[Untitled]
for: 3 voices and Hammond organ
date: ca. 1974
source: Peabody

[Untitled] ["Il entre dans la chambre"]
for: voice and flute
date: ca. 1974
text: ?
note: includes composer's fingerings for flute multiphonics
source: Peabody

CHORAL

Agnus Dei
for: chorus and organ
date: ca. 1964
source: Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles, New York

As Dew in Aprille (motet)
for: ?
date: 1970
text: ?
published: Walton Music Corporation (1972) W3503
source: Center for Black Music Research

Ave Maria (motet)
for: ?
date: 1970
text: ?
recorded: Evelyn White Chorale, Evelyn White, director, Choral Music of Black Composers, Mark Records (Arlington, VA) (LP) (1980)
published: Walton Music Corporation (1970) W3504
source: Center for Black Music Research

Four Motets
    As Dew in Aprille
    Ave Maria
    That Younge Child
    There is No Rose of Such Vertu
for: ?
date: 1970
recorded: Gregg Smith Singers, Vox SVBX 534 (3-LP set) (1979).
published: Walton Music Corporation (1970) W3504

Froggy
for: chorus and piano 4-hands (or string quartet)
date: ca. 1965
text: "poem by Lewis Carroll, and a solution by R. Roxbury"
source: Peabody

Gloria
for: choir, piano and wind orchestra
date: ca. 1964
source: Peabody

Gloria
for: chorus and organ
date: ca. 1964
source: Peabody

Kyrie
for: chorus and organ
date: ca. 1964
source: Peabody

Les Derniers Cris De Mon Amant
for: chorus, percussion and piano 6-hands
date: 1970
source: Peabody

Regina Coeli
for: 2 soli and men's chorus
date: 1960
source: Peabody

Requiem, for Bill Null
    Existence
    Trope (Dies Irae)
    R.I.P.
for: mezzo-soprano, chorus, percussion, theatrical devices and film
date: 1969
source: Peabody

Sanctus and Benedictus
for: chorus and organ
date: ca. 1964
source: Peabody

That Younge Child (motet)
for: ?
date: 1970
published: Walton Music Corporation W2253

There is No Rose of Such Vertu (motet)
for: SATB
text: traditional words
date: 1970
published: Walton Music Corporation (1972) (out of print)
source: Center for Black Music Research; Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles, New York

[Untitled] ["Un fal cascato i mezzo"]
for: SATB chorus and 2 percussion
date: ca. 1968
text: ?
source: Peabody

OPERA/THEATRE/DANCE

A Daemon's Love
Opera in one act, three scenes
for: 4 characters (Vermian, Vein, Merta and Zomuk) and orchestra
date: ca. 1974
duration: ca. 60:00
text: Ronald Roxbury
source: Peabody

Afternoon of an Evening Apotheosis and Dirge in E-flat
Theatre works with texts compiled by Roxbury from contemporary sources
for: at least four performers, with flute
date: ca. 1971-74
note: Both works were written for the Corner Theater in Baltimore and produced by Foster Grimm 1973-76. Sections include "The Sistecisserian Dialect" and "Horse Race."
source: Peabody

Esau Wood
For Marlene Dietrich voice and three players with carpentry tools
date: ca. 1975
performed (with News Flash): Bruno Walter Auditorium, Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, New York (ca. 1975)

Ghazels
for: belly dancer and ensemble
date: 1969
note: Graduation recital piece. Whereabouts of score unknown.

Le Werewolf s'amuse
for: wolfman (cabaret performer) and three percussionists
date: 1971
duration:
note: Score includes performance instructions.
performed: Bruno Walter Auditorium, Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, New York (1972)
source: Peabody

Leda and the Velvet Gentleman
for: soprano, bass, narrator, chorus and piano 4-hands
date: ca. 1972
duration: ca. 14:00
recorded: Rosalind Rees (soprano), Kenneth Bell (bass), Clifton Gaines (narrator), vocal soloists of the Gregg Smith Singers, Ronald Roxbury and William Bland (piano four-hands), Grenadilla Records GS 1033 (LP) (1978)
source (score): Peabody
source (recording): American Music Center

News Flash
For accident victim and reporters with flash cameras
date: ca. 1975
performed (with Esau Wood): Bruno Walter Auditorium, Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, New York (ca. 1975)

PICTORIAL GRAPHIC SCORES

[Six works written ca. 1978-79]:
"Up from Virginia with a world of flavor" for harp and offstage orchestra
Tesselated Landscape with Two 'Cluster Volcanoes' for piano
Organelles and Cellules with Six Dragonflies for any solo instrument or combination of instruments
'Nefertiti di gioia' for any solo instrument or combination of instruments
Imaginary Quadruple Eclipse Seen from Jupiter with Asteroids for any solo instrument or combination of instruments
A Queen and Two Surrealistic Pawns for any solo instrument or combination of instruments

Sign-Wave (1968) for any combination of instruments

Flip-out! (ca. 1971) for any combination of instruments

UNCOMPLETED WORKS:
As Keziah Mason Told Brown Jenkins
for: chamber orchestra
date: ca. 1966
note: graffitti, costumes and sets
source: Peabody

[Bronte song]
for: voice and piano
date: ?
note: piano part complete, voice part not completed
source: Peabody

Ligeia Variations [Ligeia Visitations?]
for: trumpet and piano, 10 hands
date: ?
source: Peabody

Soft Destruction Scene
for: chorus and orchestra
date: ?
note: opera scene
source: Peabody

[orchestral sketch]
for: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 4 horns, 2 violins, cello, piano
date: 1972
source: Peabody

[fragment for chamber orchestra, 4 pages]
source: Peabody

WRITINGS:
Text for William Bland's Variation on a Theme by J. S. Bach
source: New York Public Library

DISCOGRAPHY:

AS COMPOSER
"Four Motets (1970)," Gregg Smith Singers, [title of recording?), Vox SVBX 534 (3-LP set) (1979).
Leda and the Velvet Gentleman, Rosalind Rees, soprano, Kenneth Bell, bass, Clifton Gaines, narrator (vocal soloists of the Gregg Smith Singers), Ronald Roxbury and William Bland, piano four-hands, Grenadilla Records GS 1033 (LP) (1978).
"Ave Maria," Evelyn White Chorale, Evelyn White, director, Choral Music of Black Composers, Mark Records (Arlington, VA) (LP) (1980).
"Two Whitman Songs," Patrick Mason, baritone, Susan Palma, flute, David Starobin, guitar, New Music with Guitar, Volume 4, Bridge CD 9022 (1990).

AS PERFORMER (Chorus Member)
Bernstein: Mass, original production and CBS recording (1971).
Glass/Wilson: Einstein on the Beach, original production and recording (1977).

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• "Ronald Roxbury: A Remembrance" by David Starobin, Guitar Review #66 (Summer 1986).
• "Music by Ronald Roxbury" [name of author?], Guitar Review #81 [date?].
• An Analysis of the Technique and Style of Selected Black-American Composers of Contemporary Choral Music by Effie Tyler Gardner, Ph.D. dissertation, Michigan State University (1979), 440 pages. Examines music of five black American composers of contemporary choral music: George Walker, Ronald Roxbury, Hale Smith, James Furman, and Ulysses Kay. Recommendations for use of the music in the education of secondary school and college students, in choral and non-choral settings. Brief biographical sketch of each composer, complete list of works, and analysis of a representative choral work.

PERFORMING RIGHTS AFFILIATION:
BMI

RESOURCES:
American Music Center
30 West 26th Street
Suite 1001
New York, NY 10010
Tel: (212) 366-5260
Fax: (212) 366-5265
www.amc.net

Center for Black Music Research
Dr. Suzanne Flandreau, Librarian and Archivist
Columbia College Chicago
600 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605-1996

Editions New Rochelle
www.bridgerecords.com/enr.htm

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
40 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023-7498
www.nypl.org

Walton Music Corp.
P.O. Box 167
Bynum, NC 27228
www.waltonmusic.com

MUSICAL EXECUTOR:
William Bland (composer and friend)
Route 3
Box 708
Shepherdstown, WV 25443
(304) 876-6246 or (304) 876-6233
Composerbear@aol.com

OTHER CONTACTS:
David and Becky Starobin (musicians/recording producers and friends)
Bridge Records, Inc.
200 Clinton Avenue
New Rochelle, NY 10801
Bridgerec@aol.com
www.bridgerecords.com

Dale Driscoll (collaborator)
4740 36th St.
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 281-2183
XDale63X@aol.com

ARCHIVES:
Arthur Friedheim Library
Peabody Conservatory of Music
1 East Mount Vernon Place
Baltimore, MD 21202-2397
Tel: (410) 685-4100, ext. 1159
Fax: (410) 685-0657
www.peabody.jhu.edu/index.php?pageID=122