Donald J. Young composer / arranger

Born 1948, Sharon, Wisconsin

Donald J. Young received his B.M. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his M.M. from Arizona State University at Tempe. He has studied composition with Donald Andrus, Mike Leckrone, Lawrence Hartzell, Ronald LoPresti, and August Wegner.

He has received commissions from the Minneapolis Civic Orchestra, Wisconsin Music Teachers Association, the Racine Arts Council, various high school bands and choirs, and most recently Mr. Young was one of six Wisconsin composers selected (through a competition administered by the Wisconsin Alliance for Composers) to receive a commission to compose a piano piece for the Wisconsin Soundscapes project. The commission required the composers to write solo piano music that embodies inspiration from the people and places in Wisconsin. Mr. Young wrote a three movement work entitled THREE ROOT RIVER SCENES. The first movement recalls scenes from River Bend Nature Center. The second movement foreshadows an approaching storm, and the third movement depicts the pounding rain and raging river that flooded so many Racine homes and businesses in 2008.

These compositions were premiered September 30th at UW-Oshkosh by faculty member Jeri-Mae Astolfi. Her most recent performance was in August of 2013 at Taliesin. This composition is now available for purchase from RGM music publishers, Eau Claire.

Mr. Young was nominated in 2006 to be included in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and also in 2007 for the Southeastern Wisconsin Educators’ Hall of Fame. He is recently retired Director of Bands and Chairman of the music department at William Horlick High School in Racine, and is active as a guest composer and conductor throughout Wisconsin, most recently at the 2011 Carthage College Band Festival.