ULYSSES KAY Six Dances for String Orchestra , II . Waltz
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born 1917 in Tuscon , AZ ; died 1995 in Englewood , NJ
• Kay was born into a family with a great musical legacy . His uncle was King Oliver , and he grew up studying piano , violin , and saxophone .
• Kay studied at the University of Arizona where he received enthusiastic encouragement from William Grant Still . He later went on to study at the Eastman School of Music , Yale University , and Columbia University , following his service with the U . S . Navy .
• The composer gained recognition for his work and was awarded numerous accolades and grants , including those from the American Academy of Arts and Letters , The Rosenwald Fund , the Gershwin Memorial Contest , and a Fulbright scholarship to study in Rome .
• Kay worked for Broadcast Music , Inc . ( BMI ) for a number of years and taught at Lehman College . He is most well-known for his symphonic works , choral works , and operas .
THE WORLD AT A GLANCE
1954
MUSIC The Chords ’ “ Sh-Boom ”
FILM Sabrina
FUN FACT
Ulysses Kay was part of the first sponsored cultural exchange organized by the State Department between the U . S . and the Soviet Union .
ART Willem de Kooning ’ s Marilyn Monroe
ABOUT THE PIECE
• In 1954 , Kay composed his Six Dances for String Orchestra .
• The work was composed for a reoccurring CBS series entitled String Serenade that aired on Sundays . In an interview , Kay recalled that his friend who worked for CBS told him that if he composed a work for the program , they would perform it .
HISTORY Brown v . Board of Education rules that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional
10 BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA