2020-08-15 member posting John Diercks bio

John Diercks was born in Montclair, New Jersey, in 1927. He holds degrees from Oberlin, the
Eastman School, and the University of Rochester (PhD). His composition teachers included
Howard Hanson and Alan Hovhaness. For Asian music and dance he studied with Dorothy
Kahananui and Halla Huhm. His postgraduate study was at the University of Hawaii, the
University of North Carolina, Catholic University, the University of Washington, and Columbia
Teachers College.
Dr. Diercks taught piano at the College of Wooster (1950-54), then began a long tenure at
Hollins University, teaching theory and composition. He served as Music Department Chair
from 1962 until 1990 and was Chair for the Sallie Gray Shepherd Concert Series (1962-1990).
In southern Virginia, Dr. Diercks was Music Chair of the Roanoke Valley Bicentennial
Celebration (1975-1976) and President of the Chrystal Springs Music Publishers, Inc. (19781998).
Among many grants and awards he has received are those from the National Endowment for
the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Southern Foundation for the
Humanities, the Mellon and Danforth Foundations (5 times), and ASCAP (15 times). As a
composer he has enjoyed residence at the MacDowell Colony, Wolf Trap Farm, and the
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
Much of Diercks’ music is influenced by exoticism, including microtonality and
“unconventional” musical sounds. An early work, Cave Music for vocalise and three players
on prepared piano, accompanied a dance performed in Virginia’s Dixie Caverns and
broadcast on NBC-TV’s Today Show.


His Suite No.2 for Orchestra was performed by the National Gallery Orchestra, Washington,
D.C., Richard Bales conducting. Renowned pianist Roy Hamlin Johnson performed four of Dr.
Diercks’ 12 Sonatinas on the American Music series at the National Gallery.
The Twelve Sonatinas, commissioned and performed by pianist Marthanne Verbit, are in the
catalog of Albany Records. In 2009 the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America published his
Fugue in C (for Elizabeth Graves Vitu) and Fantasia (commissioned by the University of IowaAmes).
Over 125 of Dr. Diercks’ music has been published, for piano, voice, choral, chamber
ensemble, and carillon. He has written more than 200 reviews and articles in newspapers
and journals, and authored two chapters published in the Denes Agay book “Teaching Piano”.

Diercks lived in Honolulu, and served as president of the Hawaii Music Teachers Association
from 1992-96. Since then he has composed/arranged extensively for the Oahu Piano
Quartet, and continued to compose for the carillon.
John Diercks passed away in April 2020, at 92 years old.

WORKS FOR CARILLON

Op. 35

Three Pieces for Carillon (1957)
Now Appears the Glorious Day
Kongaï: The Soul of the Great Bell
Prelude to Manvantara

1:30
4:30
4:15

Op. 72

Carillon Pieces
Brightstar (1970)
Fugue for E.G. (1978/2007)
Prelude on O Sacred Head (1979)

3:00
5:00
2:00

Op. 85

An Easter Triptych (1984/2009)
Crown Him with Many crowns (Diademata)
2:30
Lo, Upon the altar (Vienna)
4:15
The Day of Resurrection (Ellacombe)
2:30
Fantasia (1988)
10:30

Op. 91

Variations on a Latin Chant (1993)
Alleluias Solemn and Joyous (1994)

6:00
6:00

Hear the Bells! (2007)
Arranged by E.G.Vitu

1:45


A Cross-Section of His 60-Year Compositional Range
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Clap your hands! for voices and keyboard
Concertino for piano and woodwind quintet
Divertimento for woodwind quintet
Dove of Peace, early American hymn-settings for unison voices with organ and
handbells
Figures on China for horn, trombone, and tuba
Moonspell for flute and piano
Of Mountain and Valley (for the Roanoke Symphony)
Sonata for oboe and piano
Suite for flute and piano
Suite for Strings for string orchestra
Suite No. 1 for piano duet

Suite No. 2 for orchestra
Theme and Variations for piano
Three Diversions for flute (alto recorder) and piano (or harpsichord)
Toward the Summer Land for two pianos
Twelve Sonatinas for piano
Variations on a Flower Drum Song for two prepared pianos
Variations on a theme of Gottschalk for tuba and piano
Vienna: For a Time and Place for two pianos
The Warriorʻs Ghost Returns to Play his Lute (Jeanne Larsen) for baritone and string
quartet
Woodwind Quintet