GEORGE ANDRIX

Biographical Sketch

George Andrix was born June 15, 1932. He began the study of the violin at the age of five (5) in his native Chicago. As a youngster, he attended the Chicago Musical College and Lane Technical High School where he received training in violin, music theory, and orchestral and chamber music repertoire.

Later, he earned Bachelor of Master of Music degrees in viola and composition at the University of Illinois where he worked with such renowned musicians as George Enesco, Igor Strawinsky, Aaron Copland, Paul Hindemith, Paul Rolland, Sir Thomas Beecham, John Cage, Max Rostal, Benjamin Britten, and Harry Partch. He studied composition with Burrill Phillips and Robert Palmer.

His training continued at Trinity College of Music in London, England, where his composition teachers were Matyas Seiber and Richard Arnell. There he won the Ricordi Conductors' Prize as the outstanding conducting student.

Mr. Andrix toured throughout Europe as principal violist of the Seventh Army Symphony and violist in the Seventh Army String Quartet. In the United States, he became a member of the Fromm Players at Tanglewood, the Ithaca String Quartet, in residence at Ithaca College Ithaca, New York, and the Houston Symphony Orchestra. He was employed as Assistant professor of Music by Ithaca College and by Morehead State University in Kentucky, teaching composition, conducting, music theory, and violin and viola.

As a conductor, Mr. Andrix's experience includes guest appearances conducting standard orchestral repertoire, jazz, and avant-garde music. In 1973, he conducted a performance for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation of L'Histoire du Soldat by Strawinsky.

Because of his keen interest in musical creativity, Mr. Andrix has been involved in the performance of many new and interesting works, including the first performance and recording of Harry Partch's theatre piece. The Bewitched, in which he played an instrument of Partch's invention called the Cloud Chamber Bowls. Another unusual performance in which Mr. Andrix participated was the premiere of the Illiac Suite for String Quartet, the first piece of music written by an electronic computer.

George Andrix, composer, is in fairly steady production, being in demand by a growing number of interested performers. He was written for a wide variety of ensembles with many works for brass and percussion. He has received commissions from such various organizations as the Composers' and Choreographers' Theatre of New York City, the Montana String Teachers' Association, and the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra (Alaska). He has numerous works published by G. Schirmer and See Saw Music, both of New York, and a brass quintet recorded on Golden Crest Records.

Since moving to Canada in 1970, Mr. Andrix has lived primarily in Edmonton, where he currently makes his living as a freelance violinist, violist and composer. He is an associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre.