Don and Barbara Gillis Collection, 1932-1977

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Don and Barbara Gillis Collection, 1932-1977

1932-1977

https://findingaids.library.unt.edu/?p=collections/findingaid&id=50

The collection consists of Don Gillis' compositions and papers, reel-to-reel recordings of many of his compositions and Gillis' discussing his works, and materials related to the series Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend, which Gillis produced. Gillis' wife Barbara oversaw the donation of this collection, and was a lifelong advocate of Mr.Gillis' work. Gillis' compositions represent his career from the early 1930s through the 1970s, and include sacred, secular, symphonic, and chamber works. His papers include correspondence, papers related to various projects, schedules, reviews, radio scripts, and the Men of Music radio project, teaching materials, writings, additional papers concerning his work, biographical materials, and newspaper clippings. The reel-to-reel recordings, 50 in all, contain recordings of Gillis' works and Gillis' own description of them. Transcripts are included in Series 3 of the finding aid. The recordings of Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend and The Centennial Series span the years 1963 through 1967, and with few exceptions, each broadcast is linked individually and available for listening through the UNT Digital Library.

255 boxes

eng, Latn

University of North Texas. Music Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 11633449

University of North Texas. Music Library

Related Entities

There are 4 Entities related to this resource.

Gillis, Lew, 1927-1989

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66v1cdm (person)

Lewis Dean Gillis was born on November 26, 1927 in Cameron, Missouri, and was the younger brother of composer Don Gillis. According to his obituary in the Dallas Morning News, Lew Gillis graduated from Paschal High School and Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, and performed as a trombonist with the Stock Show Rodeo Band there beginning in the mid-1940s, before becoming its director in 1957. Gillis was the director of bands at TCU from 1950 until 1955, following in the footsteps of his bro...

Graham, Floyd, 1902-1974

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6hb2mm6 (person)

Floyd Freeman Graham was born in Roanoke, Texas on October 15, 1902. His family moved to nearby Denton when he was two years old so that he and his elder brother, Wynne, could attend school. Both brothers later attended North Texas State Normal College, and Wynne was among the first five students awarded bachelor's degrees in 1919. Floyd Graham graduated from Denton High School in 1919. During the 1920s, he appeared in ensembles on Fort Worth and Dallas radio, taught violin, and briefly served a...

Toscanini, Arturo, 1867-1957

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60h498t (person)

Conductor. From the description of Arturo Toscanini souvenir card, 1952 summer. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 501180914 Italian conductor, considered one of the greatest of the early 20th century. Started his career in Italy and spent much of his later years in the United States. From the description of Autograph letter signed, from Toscanini to Mme Emmy Destinn, n.d. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 754872455 Italian conductor. From the descr...

Gillis, Don, 1912-1978

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xt6jxg (person)

Born in Cameron, Missouri on June 17, 1912, Don Gillis moved with his family to Texas in 1930. He went on to have some impact on nearly every institution of higher education in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as the University of South Carolina. Gillis studied composition with Don Mixson at Texas Christian University, and then worked as a band director at TCU, a Director of Productions at the WBAP radio station in Fort Worth, a producer for NBC Radio in Chicago, and a producer and script wri...