William DeFotis Papers, 1953-2003 | University of Illinois Archives

William DeFotis (1953-2003) was born in Chicago, Illinois. He studied music composition with Herbert Brün, Ben Johnston, and Morgan Powell at the University of Illinois, earning his Bachelor's of Music (1975) and his Master's of Music (1977) at Illinois. In 1977 he traveled to German on a Fulbright grant to study with composer and musicologist Wolf Rosenberg. During this period, he toured with Musica Negativa, playing clarinet. Upon his return DeFotis attended the University of Iowa, earning a DMA in conducting. From 1983 to 1985, he taught composition and orchestra at Baylor University and from 1986 to 1996 he taught at the College of William and Mary.

DeFotis's compositions have been performed by the LaSalle Quartet, Percussion Group Cincinnati, Opus One, the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory Philharmonia, and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. DeFotis took medical retirement in 1996, after which he composed and recorded more than a dozen songs for the album Satire is Serious Business, which was released by Centaur Records. DeFotis died due to complications from multiple sclerosis in 2003.