HARRISON KERR (b. Cleveland OH, October 13, 1897 - d. Norman OK, August 15, 1978) had a distinguished career as a composer, educator and advocate for American composers.

His musical language combines linear chromaticism, vertical dissonances built largely from triads and perfect intervals, strong rhythms and a feeling for classical form and gesture. Highlights of his compositional output include an opera, The Tower of Kel (1958-60), 2 works for chorus and orchestra, three symphonies, violin concerto, 2 piano sonatas, 2 string quartets, and a violin concerto (1955), which features a very personal approach to the twelve-tone system.

Kerr studied in his hometown with James H. Rogers and later with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He returned to the United States in 1921, first returning to Cleveland, then settling briefly in West Virginia, and subsequently New York City where he began an extensive career as an administrator. He was the editor of Trend, a magazine of contemporary arts, and an active writer and lecturer about contemporary music, contributing articles to Musical America, the American Magazine of Art, lecturing to the National Association of Broadcasters and various music teachers' associations across the country.

In addition to serving as the first Executive Secretary of the American Music Center, he served as first Executive Secretary of the American Composers Alliance and on the editorial boards of New Music Editions and New Music Quarterly Recordings.

After World War II, he was appointed Chief of the Music, Art and Exhibits Section of the U. S. Army Civil Affairs Division. From 1949 until 1969, he was Professor of Music and Dean at the University of Oklahoma in Norman OK.

Although several recordings of Kerr's music were issued during his lifetime, including an excellent performance of his Violin Concerto on a CRI LP, none of his music is currently available on compact disc.

from Violin Concerto (1950-1, rev. 1956) - Third Movement Wolfgang Stavonhagen - violin Imperial Philharmonic Orchestra of Tokyo William Strickland, conductor (CRI LP 142; currently out of print)

from "The Old, Old Winds" (text by Adelaide Crapsey) (1928) Paul Sperry - tenor Eero Richmond - piano (American Music Center 50th Anniversary Concert, December 4, 1989)

·Personal & Musical
 Backgrounds ofthe
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·The Pre-History of
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·The Center Opens
·The Center's Difficult
 First Years
·Great Teachers and
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·The State of Music in
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·What is
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·On Other Composers
 and Other Forms
 of Music
·Later History of the
 AmericanMusic Center
·Advice for Today's
 Composers
·Press Release
 Announcing the Opening
 of the Center

·Webliography

Biographies:

·Marion Bauer
 (1882 - 1955)
·Aaron Copland
 (1900 - 1990)
·Howard Hanson
 (1896 - 1981)
·Harrison Kerr
 (1897 - 1978)
·Otto Luening
 (1900 - 1996)
·Quincy Porter
 (1897 - 1966)

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