Rayner Brown composer

Born: February 23, 1912 - Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Died: 1999 - Los Angeles, California, USA

The American organist, composer, and teacher, Rayner Brown, was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and since 1926 resided in southern California. He was a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned a B.Mus. degree in organ and a M.Mus. degree in composition.

For 55 years Rayner Brown was a church organist. He served as the principle organist for the Wilshire Presbyterian Church from 1941 to 1977. As a member of the American Guild of Organists, he served as Dean of the Los Angeles Chapter from 1961 to 1963 and, subsequently, as a State Chairman.

Rayner Brown wrote over 200 compositions, which are performed throughout the USA and in Europe. He was the recipient of numerous commissions, Ford Foundation grants, and, for fifteen years, annual ASCAP awards for outstanding contributions to American music.

Rayner Brown was Professor Emeritus of Biola University, where he had taught for thirty years. Since retirement in 1977 as a teacher and as a performer, he was able to devote much of his time to composition.