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UCLA Obituary: Theodore Norman

Carolyn Campbell (ccampbel@arts.ucla.edu) (310) 825-6540
For Immediate Use Saturday, July 05, 1997.

Theodore Norman, a classical guitar pioneer, composer and UCLA faculty member in the Department of Music for thirty years, died on May 29 in Los Angeles. He was 85.

"Ted Norman was by nature less conservative than most of his students and colleagues, though often three or four times their age, a distinction which provided many opportunities for the wry and subtle humor which played on the surface of his deep seriousness about music, art and life. Hundreds of his students across the world further his ideals and it was an honor to have been associated with him at UCLA," said Peter Yates, faculty member who studied with Norman and worked with him over the past twenty-five years.

Norman became interested in the guitar while composing his ballet "Metamorphosis," based on the Franz Kafka novel, and used a guitar in the entire composition. Today he is noted the world over for his music for the guitar, as well as for his activated instruction which makes composition a central part of the training of concert artists.

In addition to his transcriptions for one and two guitars of music by great composers, Norman wrote ten pieces for the guitar in the twelve-tone system, the first such pieces ever to be published as well as developing a system for the blind to read music.

Norman first studied violin with Willy Hess, and composition with Adolph Weiss. He played first violin in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra from 1935 – 1942, and was closely associated with such composers as Arnold Schoenberg and Igor Stravinsky.

Later, Norman went to Europe, traveling through Spain, France, and Italy, meeting the leading Classical and Flamenco guitarists. In Sienna, he met Andres Segovia who became a regular visitor to the Norman's Los Angeles home. In Madrid, he took formal lessons with Aurelio Herrero, a Segovia student. He played a guitar concert of his own compositions and the works of other composers on Paris radio.

After returning to the United States, he played the guitar part in Pierre Boulez's "Le Marteau sans Maitre" and Schoenberg"s "Serenade," recording both works for Columbia Records. He also developed a unique system of notating flamenco music.


Contact: Carolyn Campbell
Phone: (310) 825-6540
Email: ccampbel@arts.ucla.edu