Kohs, Ellis

Ellis B. Kohs, composer and teacher, born May 12, 1916, in Chicago. Kohs received his early musical training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and studied with Olga Samarof Stokowski at the Juilliard School in New York City. He earned an M.A. degree at the University of Chicago (1938) and then attended Harvard University. During World War II, Kohs served in the U.S. Army as director of the all-African American 334th Army Forces Services Band, at Fort Benning (Georgia). After the war he taught at Wesleyan University (1946-1948) and the College of the Pacific (1938-1950), before joining the University of Southern California faculty in 1950. At USC, he served as chair of the department of theory and composition in the Thornton School of Music for more than 20 years. He died in Los Angeles on May 17, 2000.

American composer and teacher.

American composer, educator, and author, Ellis Bonoff Kohs (1916-2000), is perhaps best known for his opera, Amerika (1969), based upon the Franz Kafka novel.

Kohs received his musical training at the San Francisco Conservatory, the University of Chicago, Julliard, and Harvard University. While at Harvard, he studied composition with Walter Piston, musicology with Willi Apel and Hugo Leichtentritt, and he attended Igor Stravinsky's seminar for graduate composers. Following a stint in the military during the Second World War, Kohs embarked on a teaching career, eventually joining the faculty of the University of Southern California in 1950, where he remained for thirty-eight years. Kohs was the author of several music theory textbooks, including Music Theory: a Syllabus for Teacher and Student (1961), Musical Form: Studies in Analysis and Synthesis (1976) and Musical Composition: Projects in Ways and Means (1980). In addition to Amerika, his principal works include two symphonies, three string quartets, and concerti for violin and viola. Kohs also wrote large and small chamber works and choral pieces, as well as works for piano, organ, and voice.

Ellis Bonoff Kohs was born on May 12, 1916 in Chicago Illinois. He was a composer, educator and author. Following early studies at the San Francisco Conservatory, Kohs attended the University of Chicago (1938), Julliard (1938-1939), and Harvard (1939-1941). While at Harvard, he studied composition with Walter Piston, and musicology with Willi Apel and Hugo Leichtentritt. He also attended Stravinsky’s seminar for graduate composers.

During World War II, Kohs conducted the Army and Air Force bands at Fort Benning, Georgia, St. Joseph, Missouri, and Nashville. Following his military service, he taught at the Kansas City Conservatory, Wesleyan University (Washington D.C.), College of the Pacific, Stanford University and the University of Southern California. His career at USC spanned over thirty-five years (1950-1985) including several years as the chairman of the Theory Department in the School of Music.

Kohs wrote three textbooks: Music Theory: a Syllabus for Teacher and Student (1961), Musical Form: Studies in Analysis and Synthesis (1976) and Musical Composition: Projects in Ways and Means (1980). He was also the recipient of the Ditson Award in 1946 and the BMI Publication Award in 1948. He received commissions from Moteux, Fromm Foundation and USC in commemoration of its centenary.

His principal works include the opera Amerika (1969), two symphonies, three string quartets, and concerti for violin and for viola. He also wrote large and small chamber works and choral pieces. Additionally he wrote works for piano, organ and voice.

Ellis Kohs died on May 17, 2000 in Los Angeles.