Adolphus Hailstork


Adolphus Hailstork is an American composer and educator. He grew up in Albany, New York, where he studied violin, piano, organ, and voice.
Hailstork was born in Rochester, New York, and obtained a BA from Howard University studying with Mark Fax, master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music studying with Vittorio Giannini and David Diamond, and a doctorate in music composition from Michigan State University in 1971, studying with H. Owen Reed. He also studied at The American Institute at Fontainebleau with Nadia Boulanger.
He has served as professor at Youngstown State University in Ohio, as well as professor of music and Composer-in-Residence at Virginia's Norfolk State University. He is currently a professor of music and Composer-in-Residence at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
Hailstork is of African American ancestry and his works blend musical ideas from both the African American and European traditions.
Hailstork's awards include a Fulbright fellowship. In 1992 he was named a Cultural Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Old Dominion University maintains the Adolphus Hailstork Collection, in the special collections area of the F. Ludwig Diehn Composers Room, in the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center. In 1999, he was awarded the Brock Commission from the American Choral Directors Association. Hailstork is published by Theodore Presser Company and Carl Fischer Music.

Selected works

Works for Solo Instruments
Works for Chamber Ensemble
Works for Chorus and Orchestra
Works for Wind Ensemble
Works for Orchestra
Operas