Don Gillis

US composer, conductor and teacher (June 17, 1912–January 10, 1978). Not to be confused with Don Gillis (2), who served as musical director/arranger on Fraggle Rock and arranged for [a1100647]. The composition which has gained him most recognition is his orchestral Symphony No. 5½, A Symphony for Fun. He became production director for the radio station WBAP, later moving to NBC where he became producer for the [a279614] during the tenure of its conductor Arturo Toscanini. He held several teaching posts at academic institutions in the southern United States during his career, and also helped to found the Symphony Of The Air orchestra. Gillis was a prolific composer, writing ten orchestral symphonies, tone poems like Portrait of a Frontier Town, piano concertos, rhapsodies for harp and orchestra, and six string quartets. He also composed a wide variety of band music.