Gardner Read composed his first successful piece, “Sketches of the City,” in 1934 while studying at the Eastman School Music. While attending Eastman, Read studied with renowned composers, including Aaron Copland, Ildebrando Pizzetti, Jean Sibelius, Howard Hanson, and Bernard Rogers. Read’s career as a professor began in the early 1940s, where Read taught at several conservatories until joining the faculty at the University of Boston in 1948 until his retirement in 1978. Read also made several contributions to music literature, publishing nine books about musical notation, composition, orchestra devices, and instrumental techniques. Throughout his career, Gardner Read published over 150 compositions, including several songs and song cycles. However, many of Read’s compositions were overlooked because of his classical composition style which contrasted the avant-garde musical trends of the era. 

–Jordan Key

Citations:

Dodd, Mary Ann. “Read, Gardner.” Oxford Music Online, January 20, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.22990.

Gardner Read: The Art of Song album booklet.