User:Wabraxton

Walter Braxton is an African-American Composer, whose music excels in transatlantic communications of sound for the orchestra, the chamber ensemble and the piano.

His academic career in music began from a stint with the American Youth Performs, Inc., during the secondary school year, 1966-67, at the age of fifteen. Subsequently, attending summer camp with the Northern Virginia Music Center at Reston, VA.

In the middle of the semester of the next year, he was accepted for enrollment into the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He returned to Richmond, Virginia in March, 1969, to conduct a reading of Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral, from "Lohengrin," by Richard Wagner.

From there, he participated along side the International Music Festival Institute Orchestra at the Stetson University in Deland, FL, with the London Symphony.

After high school, Mr. Braxton presented two full length recitals on the flute in 1970 and 1975, and studied with the first flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the principal flutist with the Clarion Wind Quintet.

In 1972, it was his privilege to profit greatly by the instruction of Pulitzer Prize winner, Dr. Robert E. Ward, as a composition teacher. Also, in 1972, he conducted the premiere performance of his Overture, and another reading followed in 1975 by Maestro Jacques Houtman of the Richmond Sinfonia.

After college, the Graduate Resident Quartet of the Virginia Commonwealth University Music Department gave the world premiere of his String Quartet in 1979.

In 1985 and 1989, Mr. Braxton was unfeignedly grateful for the unbiased tutelage that he received from Mr. Allan Blank and Dr. Dika Newlin, in Composition, respectively.

Additionally, in 1986, a highlight from his Symphony No. 1, Opus 3 was subscribed for performance by the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Mr. Braxton was contracted for publication by FanFare Publications of Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1991 and 1992.

In 1992, and 1993, he offered public compositional recitals for the Richmond Public Library and the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church concert series. Mr. Braxton's work can be found among a number of academic libraries, to include: Stanford Music Library, Firestone Library, Seman's Library, Parson's Music Library. Forty-three scores are cataloged at the VCU Libraries.

In 1995 and 2008, Mr. Braxton received broadcasts from the National Public Radio of his Romance for Violin and Piano Opus 1, No. 1, and of his Zingara from the Dance Suite Opus 4, No. 7 for Flute and Piano.

Thanksgiving 2009, he presented an ensemble, with soloists, in a performance of three compositions for the general public at the Barnes and Nobles @ VCU Bookstore.

February 2012, presented a program of original compositions for the Gellman Room Concert Series of the Richmond Public Library.

See also: Brumfield, Dale. "Modern romantic: Richmond composer Walter Braxton deals with life in the forms of musical notation." Style Weekly. July 30, 2013.

Compact Discs and DVD's are available from Plan 9 Music or from Walter Braxton.

Portrait: [[1]]