Gillis, Don, 1912-1978

Donald Eugene Gillis (June 17, 1912 – January 10, 1978) was an American composer, conductor, teacher, and radio producer. The composition which has gained him most recognition is his orchestral Symphony No. 5½, A Symphony for Fun.

Biography
Gillis was born in Cameron, Missouri. His family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and he studied at Texas Christian University, playing trombone and acting as assistant director of the university band. He graduated in 1935, and obtained a master's degree from North Texas State University in 1943.

He became production director for the radio station WBAP, later moving to NBC where he became producer for the NBC Symphony Orchestra during the tenure of its conductor Arturo Toscanini. He held several teaching posts at academic institutions in the southern United States during his career, and also helped to found the Symphony of the Air orchestra. Gillis produced several NBC radio programs, including "Serenade to America" and "NBC Concert Hour." After Toscanini retired in 1954 Gillis, serving as president of the Symphony Foundation of America, was instrumental in helping to form the Symphony of the Air, using members of the old NBC Symphony. Gillis also produced the radio program "Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend," which ran for several years on NBC after the Italian conductor's death.

In 1973 he joined the faculty of the University of South Carolina where he founded, and was chairman of the Institute for Media Arts and was instrumental in establishing the Instructional Services Center. Dr. Gillis also served as USC's Composer-in-residence until his death.

He died in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 10, 1978. His papers and an extensive collection of recorded material are housed at the University of North Texas in Denton.

Music
Despite his administrative responsibilities, Gillis was a prolific composer, writing ten orchestral symphonies, tone poems like Portrait of a Frontier Town, piano concertos, rhapsodies for harp and orchestra, and six string quartets. He also composed a wide variety of band music. Gillis is best remembered as the composer of his Symphony No. 5½, A Symphony for Fun, originally performed by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra during a September 21, 1947, broadcast concert that Gillis also produced; it was preserved on transcription discs but not commercially issued. Since 2005, his symphonies have been recorded on the Albany Records label.

Gillis sought to interpret contemporary American culture musically. His music drew upon popular material, particularly emphasizing jazz, which he considered a revitalizing element in American music. He assimilated popular influences in a simple and straightforward style aimed at communicating with his audiences through an emphasis on clear, accessible, melodic writing. Many of his works are best characterized as fun and full of humor. ...

Publications
The Unfinished Symphony Conductor. Pemberton Press (1967). A satirical conducting manual.
The Art of Media Instruction. Crescendo Book Publications (1973).

Memberships and affiliations
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Alpha Alpha, 1958 (National Honorary Chapter)
Gamma Theta, 1941 (University of North Texas College of Music Chapter)

“Nothing has been left out of here except a brief mention of the spawning habits of the lamprey eel and a recipe for fried grits.” – Don Gillis, The Unfinished Symphony Conductor (1967)

The UNT Music Library celebrates the 100th birthday of Don Gillis, a musician, composer, educator, and producer, and UNT alumnus (MM, 1941) who had some impact on nearly every major institution of higher education in North Texas, including Texas Christian University, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Methodist University, Dallas Baptist University, and the University of North Texas.

Gillis was born in Cameron, Missouri on June 17, 1912. After moving to Texas in 1930, he studied composition with Don Mixson at Texas Christian University, and then worked as a band director at TCU, during which time he also played trombone in the staff orchestra for the Fort Worth radio station WBAP, directed a symphony at Polytechnic Baptist Church in Fort Worth, taught at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Fort Worth Public Schools, and composed prolifically. Gillis’ early compositions established traits that endured throughout his career, with an emphasis on American and sacred themes, good-humored optimism, and the influence of American music, and particularly jazz.

The early 1940s were a period of rapid transition for Gillis, as he was awarded the first master's degree in music composition at UNT (then North Texas State Teachers College) in 1941 for his Symphony No. 1: An American Symphony, and quickly moved from being Director of Productions at WBAP (1941-43) to being a producer for NBC Radio in Chicago (1943), and a producer and script writer for the NBC Symphony Orchestra, directed by Arturo Toscanini in New York City, a year later. Gillis’ Symphony 5 ½: A Symphony for Fun (1947), premiered by Arthur Fiedler with the Boston Pops, and was one of few American works performed by Toscanini, who pronounced Gillis' name “Zhee-li.”

In 1965, Gillis discussed the genesis of that symphony, and his working relationship with Toscanini (Track 5). Later that year, he described Toscanini's high praise for Symphony No. 5 ½ (Track 10):

He had decided to become a conductor instead of a composer, but he said, "you know, I didn't have my 'C-major chord' like Beethoven. You can hear a Beethoven and immediately know it's Beethoven ... You have found your 'C-major chord'."

Upon Toscanini’s retirement in 1954, NBC disbanded its orchestra, but Gillis played a major role in reconstituting it as the Symphony of the Air, as president of its supervising organization, the Symphony Foundation of America. In its first season, Gillis accompanied the orchestra on a State Department-sponsored tour of Asia. After serving as the Sunday producer for NBC Radio's Monitor program in 1955-56 and as vice president of the Interlochen Music Camp in Michigan from 1958 through 1961, Gillis produced the series Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend for NBC radio, presented by announcer Ben Grauer, from 1963-1967, including a special series for the centennial of Toscanini’s birth.

Gillis returned to Texas and served as chair of the music department of Southern Methodist University in Dallas from 1967 to 1968, and as the chair of the arts department and director of instructional media at Dallas Baptist College from 1968 until 1973. While at DBC, Gillis assisted significantly with the UNT (then NTSU) Music Library’s acquisition of the WBAP radio orchestra’s sheet music collection.

In April of 1974, Gillis was honored as a distinguished NT alumnus, and in September of the same year, announced plans to donate his collection of scores, papers, tapes, and photos to the Music Library.

In 1973, Gillis took the position of Chair of the Institute of Media Arts at the University of South Carolina, where he remained until his death in 1978.

A century after his birth, Gillis leaves behind a twin legacy for music in America, through his own compositions, and through his work with Toscanini. The Music Library is pleased to maintain his collection for the continued use of scholars and musicians.

GILLIS, DONALD EUGENE (1912–1978).Don Gillis, composer, conductor, musician, teacher, and producer, was born in Cameron, Missouri, on June 17, 1912. He and his family moved in 1931 to Fort Worth, where he attended Texas Christian University and studied composition with Keith Mixson. At TCU Gillis played trombone in and served as assistant director of the university band and wrote music for two musicals. He also played trombone in the staff orchestra of radio station WBAP from 1932 to 1935 and directed a symphony orchestra of his own at Polytechnic Baptist Church from 1935 to 1942. He earned a B.M. degree at TCU in 1935 and continued to serve on the faculty there until 1942. He also taught at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary during this period. He did graduate work in composition at North Texas State Teachers College (now University of North Texas) in Denton in 1942 and was awarded his M.M. degree in 1943. He also attended Louisiana State and Columbia universities.

In 1942 Gillis became production director for radio station WBAP. In December 1943 he transferred to the NBC affiliate in Chicago. A year later he went to New York to become producer and scriptwriter for the NBC Symphony Orchestra, directed by Arturo Toscanini. Gillis produced several NBC radio programs, including Serenade to America and NBC Concert Hour. After Toscanini retired in 1954 Gillis, serving as president of the Symphony Foundation of America, was instrumental in helping to form the Symphony of the Air, using members of the old NBC Symphony. He also produced the radio program Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend, which ran for several years on NBC after the Italian conductor's death. Other posts held by Gillis during his long and varied career include vice president of the Interlochen Music Camp in Michigan (1958–61), chairman of the music department at Southern Methodist University (1967–68), chairman of the arts department at Dallas Baptist College (1968–72), and composer-in-residence and chairman of the Institute of Media Arts at the University of South Carolina (1973–78). From 1968 on, Gillis was vitally interested in mixed media.

He composed prolifically in virtually all contemporary styles and genres. Much of his music emphasizes the comical, and his works often carry whimsical titles that convey the satire and humor of his music. One of his artistic goals was to interpret his American background musically. His music therefore draws on popular material, particularly emphasizing jazz, which Gillis viewed as a dynamic and revitalizing element in American music. He assimilated popular influences in a simple and straightforward style aimed at communicating with his audiences through an emphasis on clear, accessible, melodic writing. As a result of his popular appeal, his music has achieved considerable success and has been performed by a number of major orchestras, including the NBC Symphony and the Boston Pops.

His more than 150 works include ten symphonies; six string quartets; The Panhandle, a symphonic suite; The Alamo; Symphony No. 5½, "a symphony for fun," the world premiere of which was conducted by Toscanini; Portrait of a Frontier Town; Alice in Orchestralia; Texas Centennial March; Amarillo—A Symphonic Celebration; and Toscanini: A Portrait of a Century. Gillis also wrote three books: a humorous unpublished autobiography, And Then I Wrote (1948); a satirical conducting methodology, The Unfinished Symphony Conductor (1967); and an important textbook in the media field, The Art of Media Instruction (1973). Gillis died in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 10, 1978. He was survived by his wife Barbara, two daughters, and one son. His papers are housed at the University of North Texas in Denton.

Don Gillis, composer and former producer of the NBC Symphony radio broadcasts under Arturo Toscanini, died Tuesday of a heart attack in Columbia, S.C., where he was composer in residence at the University of South. Carolina and chairman of the media arts department. He was 65 years old.

As a composer he was best known for his “Symphony 5 ½,” which had its premiere under Toscanini with the NBC ‐Symphony in 1947. Under its subtitle, “Symphony for Fun,” it was used for a ballet presented by London's Festival Ballet in 1952. Antal Dorati conducted Mr. Gillis's “The Man Who Invented Music” in 1949, and Mr. Gillis himself led the NBC Summer Symphony in a program of his own works in 1953. He described himself as fundamentally a melodist, influenced orchestrally by Strauss, Sibelius and Debussy. His music sometimes had a jazzy style evolving from Gershwin and Grofe.

He composed more than 160 pieces, including several operas, 11 symphonies and works for band and for narrator and orchestra. Among the latter was “Toscanini: Portrait of a Century,” written in 1967.

Born in Cameron, Mo., and educated at Texas universities, Mr. Gillis became producer of the famous Toscanini broadcasts in 1944. When the conductor retired 10 years later, he led the efforts to save the NBC Symphony. He became president of the Symphony Foundation of America, which formed the Symphony of the Air with former members of the Toscanini orchestra. It made a tour of the Far East in 1955, after which Mr. Gillis left to resume composing.

He was executive vice president of the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Mich., from 1958 to 1961. In 1963 he conducted a radio series on WNBC called “Toscanini—the Man Behind the Legend.” Before joining the University of South Carolina, Mr. Gillis was chairman of the arts division of the Dallas Baptist College.

Mr. Gillis is survived by his wife, Barbara; two daughters, Carol Ann Miller of Dallas and Julie Gillis of Columbia; a son, Don Jr. of Toronto; three brothers and two sisters.