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Artist
Walter Piston
12+ albums
contemporary classicalClassicalamericanAllcomposer
about
Walter Hamor Piston Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976) was an American composer. He was born in Rockland, Maine. His father's father, the sailor Antonio Pistone changed his name to Anthony Piston when he came to America from Genoa, Italy. In 1905, Walter Piston Sr. and his family moved to Boston. Walter Jr. trained as an engineer at the Mechanical Arts High School in Boston, but he was artistically inclined and upon graduating from there in 1912, proceeded to the Massachusetts Normal Arts School, majoring in painting, also studying architectural drawing and American history. There he met Kathryn Nason, and married her at an Unitarian church. With his brother Edward, Walter Piston Jr. took piano lessons from Harris Shaw (who was Virgil Thomson's organ teacher). During the 1910s Walter Piston made a living playing piano and violin in dance bands, and later on in the decade played violin in orchestras led by Georges Longy. With help from Shaw, Walter Piston was admitted to Harvard in 1920, where he studied counterpoint with Archibald Davison, canon and fugue with Clifford Heilman, advanced harmony with Edward Ballantine, composition and music history with Edward Burlingame Hill. Piston often worked as an assistant to the various music professors there, and conducted the student orchestra. At about that time Piston joined the Navy Band and learned to play more instruments. He wanted to join the U.S. Navy as an officer, but was deemed more useful as a musician. Upon gr
top songs
albums
PISTON: The Incredible Flutist / Fantasy for English Horn, Harph and Strings
PISTON: Symphony No. 4 / Three New England Sketches
PISTON: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 6
PISTON: Chamber Music
PISTON: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 / Fantasia for Violin
Piston: The Incredible Flutist / Fantasy for English Horn, Harp and Strings
Piston: Symphony No. 6 & The Incredible Flutist & Three New England Sketches
Piston: String Quartets Nos. 1, 3 & 5
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Radiant Joy
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American Symphonies
Walter Piston: Concerto for Orchestra
American Masters: Piston: The Incredible Flutist - Hill: Prelude for Orchestra - Schuman: In Praise of Shahn