Works performed by Earplay:

Andy's Chorus
Piano Trio

The catalog of composer Olly Wilson (1937-2018) includes works for chamber ensembles and electronic media, but he was primarily known as a composer of orchestral music. Born in St. Louis, he was educated at Washington University (B.M.), the University of Illinois (M.M.), and the University of Iowa (Ph. D.). He taught at Oberlin Conservatory (1965-1970), where he established a program in African-American music and an electronic music studio, later called Technology in Music and Related Arts. Then he taught at U.C. Berkeley (1970-2002), where he served for several years as Chairman of the Music Department.

Wilson received commissions from the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony, among others. His works have been performed by most major American orchestras and by several European orchestras. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1995, received a Guggenheim grant to study in Ghana, and received a Rome Prize in 2008. In addition to teaching and composition, he played jazz piano and classical double bass.

Olly Wilson was a great friend of Earplay, and Earplay dedicates its 2019 performance of his Trio to his memory.