Will Gay Bottje


Will Gay Bottje was an American composer known for his contributions to electronic music.
Bottje was a graduate of the Juilliard School where he studied composition with Vittorio Giannini. He went on to pursue studies at the Eastman School of Music where he was a pupil of Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson. From Eastman he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition, the second such degree to be awarded to a student from any institution. He also studied composition privately with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, and was a pupil of Henk Badings at the University of Utrecht's electronic music studio.
From 1957 to 1981 Bottje taught on the music faculty at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. There he founded and directed SIU's electronic music studio. One of his notable pupils at SIU was composer Larry Lake. During 21-23 October 1965, Bottje was also a SIU featured Vision '65 speaker/presenter.

Selected compositions

Orchestral

Commentaries for Guitar & Small Orchestra Concertino for Piccolo & Orchestra Concerto for 2 Flutes & Orchestra Concerto for Horn & Orchestra Concerto for Oboe, Violin & Orchestra Flavors Full CircleOpenerSinfonia for Young String OrchestraSounds From the West Shore
  • ''The Ballad Singer''

Vocal and choral

A Sentence Once Begun – Soprano, Str Quartet Cantata for the 53rd Sunday – SATB, 3 solos, keyboard, soprano obligato instrumentCarol – SATBCredo – SSAATTBBDiptych – SSAATTBB, part 2 with keyboardExhortation of the Dawn – SATB and Brass Ensemble or keyboardIn Caverns All Alone – Soprano or Tenor, flute, bassoon and pianoIn Praise of Music – Mezzo-Soprano and String Quartet Last Minute Message for a Time Capsule – SATB, ten drQuests of Odysseus – tenor and piano Radiant Musings – SATB and keyboard, 11 short settings which can be done as a whole, in part, or individually
  • "Songs from the Land Between the Rivers - SATB and Orchestra"Thrush Song – SSAATTBB, solos & fluteWayward Pilgrim – Soprano or Mezzo-soprano & Piano

Chamber music

Brief Acquaintances – Oboe, Clarinet, CelloBrief Candles – Flute and GuitarChorale and Allegro – four trumpetsConcerto for Tuba – Tuba & Piano Country Wife-Suite – flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon.Dances: Real & Imagined – Guitar & String QuartetDesigns- 2 flutes, cello, pianoDiversions – narrator, flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, horn and pianoDune Music – flute, oboe, cello and pianoDuo Sonatina – 2 Euphoniums, piano Fireflies – Oboe, Harpsichord & String QuartetIncidental Music for a Restoration Comedy – clarinet, viola and celloLighter Strings – Guitar & HarpsichordLitanies, Refrains & Alleluias – Trombone and pianoLittle Sonata No.1 – Flute and organLittle Sonata 5 – Clarinet and organLittle Sonata No.7 – Trumpet and organLyric Sonata – Bassoon and pianoMusic for a Joyous Occasion III – 2 flutes, and celloPrelude & Fugue – Tuba and pianoQuintet for Flute & StringsQuintet for Clarinet, bassoon, french horn, violin, and contrabassQuintet Nr. 2 For Winds – flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French hornReady, Set-- 3 cellos, or 3 bassoons, or 3 ClarinetsRecitative, Arioso & Finale – Trombone and pianoSerenade – Wind quintet and string quartetSextet for Strings – 2 violins, 2 violas and 2 cellosSonata for 2 CellosSonatas 1,2, and 3 – cello and pianoSonata for Flute & PianoSonata for GuitarSonata for Trumpet & PianoSonata for Violin & PianoSong and Dance – Violin and PianoSoundings – Oboe and HarpsichordSprites & Phantoms – flute, oboe, clarinet, cello and pianoString Quartets Nrs. 2, 4 & 5Symphony for Cello and Piano four-hands Three Flared Bells – trumpet, French horn and tromboneThree Miniatures – flute and pianoTides – two pianosTrio – flute, cello and pianoTrio – violin, cello and pianoTriple Play- Clarinet & PianoVariations & Fugue – 4 trombones Well-Tempered Flutes – 43 Preludes & Fugues from Bach WTC, arr for 2 flutesWonders of the Night Sky – 8 piano ensemble