Betty Rose Wishart Explained

American composer and pianist Betty Rose Wishart was born on September 22, 1947, in Lumberton, North Carolina.^[1] She earned music degrees from Queens College (Charlotte, North Carolina)^[2] and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then pursued further studies in New York City.^[3] Her major teachers were Roger Hannay, Richard Bunger Evans, Donald Waxman, Michael Zenge, and Wolfgang Rose.

Wishart taught piano, theory, and composition at Kohinoor Music Company from 1972 to 1973, and joined the staff of Argo Classical Records in 1973.^[4] She started composing in 1974, initially under the name B. R. Wishart to disguise her gender. She served as president of the Southeastern Composers' League in 2008.^[5]

Wishart has received awards from:

• American College of Musicians
• American Pen Women
• American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP)
• Broward County Music Teachers Association
• Composers Guild
• Delta Omicron
• Fayetteville/Cumberland County Arts Council
• Vox Novus

Her compositions include:

Chamber

• Ch'ien (four violins, temple blocks)
• Dreams (clarinet and piano; 1983)
• Experience (string quintet; 1971)^[6]
• Memories of Things Unseen (violin, flute, clarinet, cello; 1973)
• Memories II (violin, flute, clarinet, cello; 1983)
• Oracles (flute and piano)

Organ

• Meditations for Trinity (1976)
• Prelude (1975)
• Sounds (1972)

Piano

• Apprehensions (1971)
• Illusion Suite(1968)
• Kohinoor Sonata (1971)
• Leukoplakia (1968)
• Night Visions Suite
• Reflections (1983)
• Remembrance
• Reverie (1983)
• Salute (1982)
• Sonata
• Sonata No. 2^[7]
• Toccata II
• Toccata III
• Variations on a Folk Melody

Vocal

• Go Now in Peace (soprano and alto; 1982)
• Hymn for the Children (1979)
• Lullabies for Peace
• Melancholy (1968)
• Shanti
• Requiem for Dreams

Discography

• Piano Sonorities – Ravello Records 2016
• Concertante No. 1 Journey into the Unknown –Navona Records 2017

References

1. Book: Stern, Susan. Women composers : a handbook. 1978. Scarecrow Press. 0-8108-1138-3. Metuchen, N.J.. 3844725.
2. Book: Directory of New Music. 1980. Crystal Musicworks. en.
3. Book: International Who's who in Music and Musicians' Directory. 1977. Melrose Press. 978-0-900332-44-9. en.
4. Book: Cohen, Aaron I.. International encyclopedia of women composers. 1987. 0-9617485-2-4. Second edition, revised and enlarged. New York. 16714846.
5. Book: Swartout, Kristy A.. Encyclopedia of associations : an associations unlimited reference, a guide to more than 24,000 national and international organizations .... 2008. Gale/Cengage. 978-1-4144-2006-6. 46th. Farmington Hills, MI. 229891933.
6. Book: Office, Library of Congress Copyright. Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. 1973. en.
7. Web site: Naxos Music Library - Invaluable Resource for Music Enthusiasts and Collectors. 2020-07-18. nfa.nml3.naxosmusiclibrary.com.