Composer Lou Harrison (1917 - 2003)

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I report that composer Lou Harrison died
yesterday evening while traveling to a festival of his music at Ohio
State
University. Official information from Professor Donald Harris who was
coordinating the festival is appended below.

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Last night, while traveling from Chicago to Columbus, Lou Harrison
passed
away.  We had sent Adam Schweigert and Joe Panzner, two students in
Composition and Theory, to Chicago with a University van to greet Lou
and
his traveling companion, Todd Burlingame, and drive them back to campus
for
the Festival.  Lou does not like to fly and took the train, the
California
Zephyr, from near San Francisco to Chicago.  The train arrived at about
5:15 PM.  While en route to Indianapolis, their overnight destination,
Adam, Joe, Lou and Todd decided to stop at a Denny's restaurant in
Lafayette, Indiana, for some dinner.  Lou stumbled and fell upon getting
out of the vehicle and apparently suffered a heart attack.  He had great
difficulty breathing.  Paramedics were called and they arrived within
minutes. Lou was transported to the hospital but was unable to be
revived.
He passed away around 9 or 9:30 PM.     We are  awaiting the coroner's
report for final confirmation of the cause of death.

This is a great tragedy for the entire world of music.  Lou was as
excited
about the Festival as we were.  Our sympathies go out to all in the
world
of music and dance who treasured his great gift.   I will always
remember
the joy in his voice when we spoke over the telephone about the
Festival.
He was an active participant in planning the concerts.  He had also
prepared a special seminar for OSU students in composition.  He was very
much looking forward to the CSO performances of his Third Symphony in a
final revision that he had just completed.  He told me how honored he
felt
to have so many of his compositions performed on the Festival.  Let
everyone know that the Festival will go on as planned as a tribute to
this
legendary American musician.

Lou Harrison will be cremated today; his remains shipped back to
California.   He was eighty-five years old.

Donald Harris, Professor of Composition & Theory
School of Music, The Ohio State University
301 Weigel Hall
1866 College Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1170
telephone: (614) 688-4728; fax: (614) 292-1102
home phone: (614) 459-8656; home fax (614) 459-8757

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