Brusletten, Irvin, 1931-2010

Irvin Ludolf Brusletten Jr. was born on June 7, 1931 in Harlowton, Montana. He took up the tenor saxophone, playing in a local big band before earning a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Montana, followed by a Master of Music degree in music theory and composition at the Cincinnati Conservatory. In 1958, he was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to Rome, where he studied with Goffredo Petrassi and Luigi Dallapiccola. After the Fulbright fellowship, he received further fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Montalvo Arts Center. He then relocated to New York City, followed by San Francisco, where he taught at the Music and Arts Institute. He returned to Italy in 1966 and remained there for 12 years, teaching a variety of subjects at multiple institutions. He moved with his family from Fiesole, Italy, back to Vashon Island in the state of Washington in 1978, continuing to teach at several colleges and universities, continuing to teach clarinet and saxophone after retirement. Irvin Brusletten died in Vashon, Washington on November 16, 2010 at the age of 79.