Meet the Composer: Adolphus Hailstork

BACKGROUND

Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork III was born in Rochester, New York, USA in 1941. As a child, he studied violin, piano, organ, and voice. He also sang in a church choir and later said that experience strongly influences the music he writes.  

After high school, Hailstork attended several universities and studied with many composition teachers, including a very famous French teacher named Nadia Boulanger (NAH-dee-ah BOO-lahn-zhay.) After graduation, he kept composing and also started teaching composition.

Over the course of his long career, he has composed hundreds of pieces of music for many kinds of ensembles and instruments. In interviews, he has often said that current events influence his music and that he uses music as a way to express feelings about things that are happening in the world.  He has also said that he wants to write music that grabs the listener’s attention.  

He currently lives in the state of Virginia. In 2021, his music was played at the Presidential Inauguration for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.  

MUSIC

Adolphus Hailstork has written a lot of music. Here are four pieces to get you started. 

1. Adolphus Hailstork composed this next piece for choir. Remember, he sang in a choir when he was young. This piece is also full of energy and pulsing rhythms.  

2. Our first two examples were for ensembles, or groups of musicians. This next one is for a solo instrument: the flute. As you listen and watch, compare and contrast this example with the other pieces by Adophus Hailstork. 

3. So far, our listening examples have been fast and energetic. The next piece is titled “Epitaph.” An epitaph is a piece written in memory of someone who died. Can you guess what the mood or feeling of this piece will be? Adolphus Hailstork wrote this Epitaph for a famous man who gave a famous speech called “I Have a Dream.” Do you know who gave that speech?  

4. Our last example of Adolphus Hailstork’s music is a longer piece called Sonata da Chiesa, which means “church sonata.” The work is made up of seven short movements. A movement is a section or part of a larger piece. Each movement in Sonata da Chiesa is connected to a different part of a worship service. As you listen, think about what each movement might be trying to communicate. Some movements might be meant to sound like meditation or quiet reflection; some movements might be meant to sound like a celebration. Can you use music vocabulary to describe each section?  

CREATE, CONNECT & RESPOND

1. You can be a composer too, just like Adolphus Hailstork. Try composing your own piece of music inspired by artwork, using this lesson.

2. Adolphus Hailstork likes to write music so he can express his feelings about current events. What current events are important to you? Journal or discuss what kind of world event might inspire you to write music. Continue to explore the connection between world events and music in this Themed Lesson: Protest Music.