Born George Calvin Hampton, Calvin Hampton was renowned as an organist and composer for organ. The late Eric Routley, an authority on church music, cited Hampton as "the greatest living composer of hymn tunes." Harry Huff, his executor and successor at Calvary Church, states that Hampton was the most important American composer of organ music in the twentieth century.
Born in Kittaning, Pennsylvania and raised in Ravenna, Ohio, Hampton was a resident of New York City from 1963 until his death from AIDS in 1984. He received his musical training at Oberlin Conservatory and Syracuse University, where his teachers were Fenner Douglass and Arthur Positer.
Hampton was a distinguished recitalist, specializing in 19th and 20th century repertoire. He was famous for his weekly Friday Midnight concerts at Calvary Church in New York City, which he offered from 1974 to 1983. He was twice a recitalist at the national conventions of the American Guild of Organists. His organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition was the first modern day organ transcription and, though it was met with controversy, was broadcast and recorded, and followed-up by a transcription of Franck's Symphony in D Minor.
Virtually every hymnal in America today contains hymn tunes and harmonizations by Calvin Hampton. In addition to hymns and other service music (including dozens of organ works and choral anthems), Hampton also wrote important works for orchestral and chamber forces. His Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra was performed by the New York Philharmonic and is one of a series of works that he wrote for saxophone quartet. His Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra, left uncompleted at the time of his death, was completed after by Chris DeBlasio (who also died of AIDS) and Allison Sniffin. Many of his organ works were commissioned for new organs, such as Music for an Important Occasion, the first commissioned work for the concert organ in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. There are also two experimental works for pianos and electronic tape which were recorded by CBS Records during the 1960s.
Hampton recorded widely as an organist, especially for the Musical Heritage Society (all out of print today). Many of his works have been reissued in new digital recordings since the 1990s, including multiple recordings of the Five Dances for Organ and The Alexander Variations for two pipe organs.
Calvin Hampton died of AIDS in Port Charlotte, Florida at the age of 45 on August 5, 1984.
Born in Kittaning, Pennsylvania and raised in Ravenna, Ohio, Hampton was a resident of New York City from 1963 until his death from AIDS in 1984. He received his musical training at Oberlin Conservatory and Syracuse University, where his teachers were Fenner Douglass and Arthur Positer.
Hampton was a distinguished recitalist, specializing in 19th and 20th century repertoire. He was famous for his weekly Friday Midnight concerts at Calvary Church in New York City, which he offered from 1974 to 1983. He was twice a recitalist at the national conventions of the American Guild of Organists. His organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition was the first modern day organ transcription and, though it was met with controversy, was broadcast and recorded, and followed-up by a transcription of Franck's Symphony in D Minor.
Virtually every hymnal in America today contains hymn tunes and harmonizations by Calvin Hampton. In addition to hymns and other service music (including dozens of organ works and choral anthems), Hampton also wrote important works for orchestral and chamber forces. His Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra was performed by the New York Philharmonic and is one of a series of works that he wrote for saxophone quartet. His Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra, left uncompleted at the time of his death, was completed after by Chris DeBlasio (who also died of AIDS) and Allison Sniffin. Many of his organ works were commissioned for new organs, such as Music for an Important Occasion, the first commissioned work for the concert organ in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. There are also two experimental works for pianos and electronic tape which were recorded by CBS Records during the 1960s.
Hampton recorded widely as an organist, especially for the Musical Heritage Society (all out of print today). Many of his works have been reissued in new digital recordings since the 1990s, including multiple recordings of the Five Dances for Organ and The Alexander Variations for two pipe organs.
Calvin Hampton died of AIDS in Port Charlotte, Florida at the age of 45 on August 5, 1984.
Born George Calvin Hampton, Calvin Hampton was renowned as an organist and composer for organ. The late Eric Routley, an authority on church music, cited Hampton as "the greatest living composer of hymn tunes." Harry Huff, his executor and successor at Calvary Church, states that Hampton was the most important American composer of organ music in the twentieth century.
Born in Kittaning, Pennsylvania and raised in Ravenna, Ohio, Hampton was a resident of New York City from 1963 until his death from AIDS in 1984. He received his musical training at Oberlin Conservatory and Syracuse University, where his teachers were Fenner Douglass and Arthur Positer.
Hampton was a distinguished recitalist, specializing in 19th and 20th century repertoire. He was famous for his weekly Friday Midnight concerts at Calvary Church in New York City, which he offered from 1974 to 1983. He was twice a recitalist at the national conventions of the American Guild of Organists. His organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition was the first modern day organ transcription and, though it was met with controversy, was broadcast and recorded, and followed-up by a transcription of Franck's Symphony in D Minor.
Virtually every hymnal in America today contains hymn tunes and harmonizations by Calvin Hampton. In addition to hymns and other service music (including dozens of organ works and choral anthems), Hampton also wrote important works for orchestral and chamber forces. His Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra was performed by the New York Philharmonic and is one of a series of works that he wrote for saxophone quartet. His Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra, left uncompleted at the time of his death, was completed after by Chris DeBlasio (who also died of AIDS) and Allison Sniffin. Many of his organ works were commissioned for new organs, such as Music for an Important Occasion, the first commissioned work for the concert organ in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. There are also two experimental works for pianos and electronic tape which were recorded by CBS Records during the 1960s.
Hampton recorded widely as an organist, especially for the Musical Heritage Society (all out of print today). Many of his works have been reissued in new digital recordings since the 1990s, including multiple recordings of the Five Dances for Organ and The Alexander Variations for two pipe organs.
Calvin Hampton died of AIDS in Port Charlotte, Florida at the age of 45 on August 5, 1984.
Born in Kittaning, Pennsylvania and raised in Ravenna, Ohio, Hampton was a resident of New York City from 1963 until his death from AIDS in 1984. He received his musical training at Oberlin Conservatory and Syracuse University, where his teachers were Fenner Douglass and Arthur Positer.
Hampton was a distinguished recitalist, specializing in 19th and 20th century repertoire. He was famous for his weekly Friday Midnight concerts at Calvary Church in New York City, which he offered from 1974 to 1983. He was twice a recitalist at the national conventions of the American Guild of Organists. His organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition was the first modern day organ transcription and, though it was met with controversy, was broadcast and recorded, and followed-up by a transcription of Franck's Symphony in D Minor.
Virtually every hymnal in America today contains hymn tunes and harmonizations by Calvin Hampton. In addition to hymns and other service music (including dozens of organ works and choral anthems), Hampton also wrote important works for orchestral and chamber forces. His Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra was performed by the New York Philharmonic and is one of a series of works that he wrote for saxophone quartet. His Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra, left uncompleted at the time of his death, was completed after by Chris DeBlasio (who also died of AIDS) and Allison Sniffin. Many of his organ works were commissioned for new organs, such as Music for an Important Occasion, the first commissioned work for the concert organ in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. There are also two experimental works for pianos and electronic tape which were recorded by CBS Records during the 1960s.
Hampton recorded widely as an organist, especially for the Musical Heritage Society (all out of print today). Many of his works have been reissued in new digital recordings since the 1990s, including multiple recordings of the Five Dances for Organ and The Alexander Variations for two pipe organs.
Calvin Hampton died of AIDS in Port Charlotte, Florida at the age of 45 on August 5, 1984.
Inscription
MAKER OF MUSIC
