Mailman, Martin, 1932-2000

Dr. Martin Mailman was born in New York City on June 30, 1932.[2] He studied composition at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester earning a bachelor's degree in music composition in 1954, a master's degree in music composition in 1955, and a PhD in music composition in 1960. His teachers at Eastman included Louis Mennini, Wayne Barlow, Bernard Rogers, and Howard Hanson.[2] He served for two years in the United States Navy,[3] and he was among the first group of young contemporary American composers chosen in 1959 to participate in The Young Composers Project, sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the National Music Council.[4] As a result, he spent two years teaching in the schools of Jacksonville, Florida. From 1961 to 1966, he served as the first Composer in Residence at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.[5] From 1966 until 2000, he was Composer in Residence, Coordinator of Composition, and later, Regents Professor at the University of North Texas College of Music in Denton, Texas. In November 2000, the University of North Texas Board of Regents awarded Emeritus status to Dr. Mailman posthumously.[2]

Dr. Mailman received numerous awards, among which include two American Bandmasters Association/Ostwald Awards for composition, the National Band Association/Band Mans Company prize for composition, the Edward Benjamin Award, Composer of the Year by the Texas Music Teachers Association, and the 1982 Queen Marie-Jose Prize for composition for his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (Variations), Op. 68.[6] His works include chamber music, band, choral, and orchestral music, film scores, television music, an opera, and a requiem for chorus, orchestra, and soloist. A frequently sought-after clinician and teacher, Dr. Mailman served as guest conductor-composer at more than ninety colleges and universities across the United States and Europe.[5]

He was a leader in promoting comprehensive musicianship programs through MENC throughout his career and gave presentations at conventions and schools across the country. Instead of featuring his own music, he always focused on music in general and the impact it has on students and professionals alike.[2] He was particularly intrigued by the compositional process and the concept of music as "organized sound over time with intent."[5]

Dr. Mailman’s musical holdings are now handled by his son, Dr. Matthew Mailman, Professor of Conducting in the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.[2]

Martin Mailman’s widow, Mary Nan Mailman (1929-2016), established two endowed scholarships in his name: The Martin Mailman Excellence in Band Endowed Scholarship in the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University[7] and The Martin Mailman Memorial Composition Scholarship Endowment in the College of Music at the University of North Texas.[5]

Dr. Martin Mailman served on the College of Music faculty at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas for thirty-four years as the Coordinator of Composition, Regents Professor of Music, and Composer in Residence. He served for two years in the United States Navy, was a Ford Foundation composer in Jacksonville, Florida, and was the first Composer in Residence at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.

A composition student of Louis Mennini, Wayne Barlow, Bernard Rogers, and Howard Hanson, he earned his B.M., M.M., and Ph.D. degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York. Dr. Mailman received numerous awards and grants for composition, which include two American Bandmasters Association/Ostwald prizes for composition, the National Band Association/Band Mans Company prize for composition, and the Edward Benjamin Award. He won the 1982 Queen Marie-Jose Prize for composition in Geneva, Switzerland for his Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (Variations). His works include chamber music, band, choral, and orchestral music, film scores, television music, an opera, and a requiem for chorus, orchestra, and soloists. A frequently sought-after clinician and teacher, Dr. Mailman served as guest conductor-composer at more than ninety colleges and universities across the United States and Europe. The impact of his music, teaching, and career is immeasurable, and he is widely regarded as one of America’s finest composers.

He was a member of ASCAP, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda, the American Bandmasters Association, and Sigma Alpha Iota.

Composers in High Schools
Fellowships to composers to serve in high-school systems writing music for performance by high-school orchestras, bands, choruses, and other musical groups.

Composers
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Martin S. Mailman, Rochester, N. Y.