Lou Harrison, a contemporary American composer who was supposed to lead Ohio State’s Contemporary Music Festival 2003, died Sunday. He was 85.
Harrison was en route to Columbus for the festival when he suffered a fatal heart attack Sunday night in Lafayette, Ind. Harrison was to arrive in Columbus yesterday.
Harrison composed hundreds of works and may have been best known for introducing the Indonesian gamelan, a musical instrument, to the United States. He was influenced by the sounds of other Asian cultures, as well as Native American sounds.
Harrison has taught in the music departments of many schools, including UCLA and Black Mountain College in North Carolina. In addition to being a composer, Harrison was also a record salesman, animal nurse, journalist, florist, firefighter, poet and painter.
Donald Harris, organizer of the festival and professor of music, said Contemporary Music Festival 2003 will not be canceled but will be slightly altered.
“We’re going to go ahead and celebrate his life,” he said. “We’re going to continue like he was still here.”
The festival, renamed “Contemporary Music Festival 2003 in Celebration of the Life and Music of Lou Harrison,” will feature 19 of Harrison’s pieces.
Contemporary Music Festival 2003 will open Thursday at Weigel Auditorium with the percussion music of Harrison as performed by the OSU Percussion Ensemble.
