Fink, Myron S. (1932-2026) | University of Illinois Archives

Myron Samuel Fink (1932-2026) was born in Chicago, IL. A prolific composer and pianist, Fink began his studies on piano at the age of 6 and began composing at the age of 10, taking lessons with Felix Borowski. He was a graduate of Lane Technical High School in Chicago. Upon graduating, Fink began his formal composition studies at the Eastman and Juilliard Schools of Music, where he studied with Bernard Wagenaar and and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He enrolled at the University of Illinois in 1952, where he received both his bachelor's and master's degrees in music, in 1954 and 1955 respectively. As an undergraduate, Fink was one of two music students nationally to win the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. This award enabled him to take composition lessons with Robert Palmer at Cornell University. Upon his return to the University of Illinois, Fink wrote his first opera, The Boor, which was premiered by Ludwig Zirner and the Opera Workshop alongside operas by Darius Milhaud and Paul Hindemith during the University's Festival of Contemporary Arts. Soon after graduating, he earned a Fulbright scholarship, which allowed him to continue his studies in composition at the Staats-Akademie der Musik in Vienna.

After returning to the states, Fink briefly taught at the Curtis Institute of Music and Alma College (NY). In the early 1960s, he moved to Binghamton, New York, becoming the piano accompianist with the Wallenberg String Quartet and the Tri-Cities Opera, a faculty member at Harpur College, and the director of the Binghamton Unitarian Universalist Church. In 1966, He joined the faculty at Hunter College of the City University of New York. Soon after this, he also began teaching composition at the State University of New York College at Purchase. Following his retirement in 1991, he moved to San Diego, California and began working as a free-lance composer.

Fink was a prolific composer, writing in a variety of genres. But his true love was opera and musical theater. His incidental music to Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle, which was composed during his time as a graduate student, has been performed in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and South Africa. Jeremiah, his third opera, was premiered by Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, New York in 1962 and was the first opera to receive support from the New York State Council on the Arts. His fourth opera, Judith and Holofernes was given a concert premiere in 1978. Chinchilla, a comic opera was commissioned and premiered by Tri-Cities Opera in 1986. His seventh opera, The Conquistador, was commissioned and premiered by San Diego Opera in 1997. The title role of Don Luis de Carvajal, was premiered by Illinois vocal faculty member Jerry Hadley. His opera for children, Animalopera, was written in 2000 on commission from San Diego Opera. In 2003 Fink completed Edith Wharton: A Self Portrait, an opera based on the life of the famous early 20th century American novelist. Between 2004 and 2008, Fink also composed The Friend of the Family (with libretto by long-time collaborator Donald Moreland), Bloody Ground (with script by Steven L. Denlinger) and Trojan Women.

After retiring, Fink also composed four Symphonies; a Piano Concerto; a String Quartet; a Rhapsody for Klezmer Ensemble and Orchestra; and Spoon River Portraits, an oratorio for Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra based on Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology. Fink died in California on July 30, 2026.

Bradley H. Short, "Fink, Myron S(amuel)," Grove Music Online (January 29, 1999), online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O009295

Nicholas Slonimsky, Laura Kuhn, and Dennis McIntire, "Fink Myron S(amuel)," Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, online at:  link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3491803873/GVRL?u=uiuc_uc&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=0381ff61.

"Fink Writes Musical Score for Play; Grad Student Saves Day for Theater." Daily Illini (January 13, 1955): 3.

"Opera Workshop to Offer 3 Operas As Part of Modern Arts Festival." Daily Illini (March 4, 1955): 9.

"Fink Awarded Wilson Fellowship for Promise in Teaching Profession." Daily Illini (April 10, 1954): 6.

Will Vaile, "Fink Vestal's Man of Year," Press and Sun Bulletin (Binghamton, NY) (February 16, 1963): 3.

"Composer to Play it Cool Tuesday; Art Will Inspire Him on the Spot," Star-Gazette (Elmira, NY) (February 17, 1963): 10.

"Myron Fink is Music Director of City Church," Press and Sun Bulletin (Binghamton, NY) (November 23, 1964): 5.

Donna Bieschke, "New Opera to Debut Next Month," Chicago Tribune (February 18, 1997): 123.

Mark Swed, "Conquistador Strongest in Its Narrative," LA Times (March 3, 1997), online at: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-03-ca-34273-story.html