Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts School of Music Robert Gray Papers, Music a... Finding Aid Holdings Fine Arts and Applied Arts School of Music Robert Gray Papers, Music a... Finding Aid By Robert DeLand, Emilia Garvey, Janice Wien and Scott Schwartz
[Printer Friendly] | [ Email us about these papers]Title: Robert Gray Papers, Music and Instruments, 1910-2006
ID: 12/5/40
Primary Creator: Gray, Robert (1926-)
Extent: 9.0 cubic feet
Arrangement: Alphabetical
Date Acquired: 05/10/2007
Subjects: Brass Instruments, Music, Music, School of, Photographs, Summer Youth Music
Formats/Genres: Papers, Sheet music, Sound Recordings
Languages: English
Consists of papers, photographs, music, correspondence, teaching notes, research, and music instruments documenting Gray's professional music career as a trombone professor, performer, and church music director between 1940 and 2006. The collection is organized in three series: Series 1, Personal Papers, 1940-2006; Series 2, Music, 1929-1998; and Series 3, Historical Trombones, ca. 1910-1992. Of particular interest are the papers documenting the University Wind Ensemble's 1977 tour of South America and Gray's prototype F attachment that was an attempt to modify the Conn's 8H bass trombone design but was never put into production by the manufacturer.
Robert Gray was born in Ambridge, PA on June 13, 1926 and graduated from Ohio's Muskingum College c. 1949. He received his Masters degree in trombone performance and PhD in trombone theory/pedagogy from the Eastman School of Music, and taught at Duke University, the University of Arizona, and East Carolina University. Dr. Gray joined the University of Illinois faculty in 1955, and served as professor of trombone and low brass, and director of several student wind and brass ensembles. He was also a member of the Illinois Brass Quintet, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and the Sinfonia da Camera. He retired in 1991 after serving 36 years on the UIUC faculty. In addition to his teaching and performance responsibilities a the University Gray served on the board of advisors for the International Trombone Association and was its president from 1984-86. For most of his tenure at the University of Illinois he also taught trombone for the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp (ISYM) from 1957-91. In addition to his teaching and research he served as the music director at Champaign, Illinois' First Presbyterian Church and concertized with his wife, organist Joan Gray, throughout his career.
Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Acquisition Source: Robert Gray
Acquisition Method: Gift