Donald Erb
Illustration — Donald Erb Donald Erb (January 17, 1927 – August 12, 2008) was an American composer best known for large orchestral works such as Concerto for Brass and Orchestra and Ritual Observances.
Also recorded as Donald James Erb
Donald Erb

Janet Century Photography (janetcentury.com) · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1927 · Youngstown.
- Died
- 2008 · Cleveland Heights.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- composer · music educator · trumpeter
- Education
- Indiana University · Kent State University · Cleveland Institute of Music · Lakewood High School
- Teachers
- Nadia Boulanger
- Honours
- Rome Prize · Guggenheim Fellowship · Arts and Letters Award in Music
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Donald Erb fut compositeur ; sa naissance est enregistrée le 17 janvier 1927 à Youngstown, Ohio et son décès le 12 août 2008 à Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Vie
Les deux événements sont enregistrés par la Bibliothèque nationale de France et la Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Institutions citées
Bibliothèque nationale de France · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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In this article
Early years
Early years
Erb was born in Youngstown, Ohio, graduated from Lakewood High School, a Cleveland suburb, and gained early recognition as a trumpet player for a local dance band. Following a stint in the Navy during World War II, he continued his career as a jazz trumpeter and enrolled at Kent State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in music in 1950. Three years later, he earned a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 1964, Erb earned a Doctorate in Music from Indiana University Bloomington, where he studied with Bernhard Heiden.
Selected works
Selected works
• 1966 Concerto for Solo Percussionist • 1964 Symphony of Overtures • 1965 Phantasma for four musicians • 1966 Diversion For Two (other than sex) for trumpet and percussion • 1966 String Trio for violin, electric guitar and violoncello • 1967 Reconnaissance for instruments and electronic sounds • 1968 In No Strange Land for instruments and electronic sounds • 1969 The Seventh Trumpet for orchestra • 1983 "Prismatic Variations" for orchestra • 1986 Concerto for Brass and Orchestra • 1994 Changes • 1994 Remembrances • 1994 Sonata for Solo Violin • 1995 Sunlit Peaks and Dark Valleys • 1995 Sonata for Solo Harp • "Autumn Music for Orchestra" • "Christmas Music for Orchestra" • "Harold's Trip to the Sky" for Viola, piano and percussion • "Klangfarbenfunk I & II" for jazz group and orchestra • "Percussion Concerto" for percussion and orchestra • "The Hawk" for jazz group • "The Treasures of the Snow" for electronics and orchestra • "Trombone Concerto" • "2 Milosci do Warszawy" for piano, clarinet, cello, trombone and electronic sounds • String Quartet N. 1 • String Quartet N. 2 • String Quartet N. 3 • "Music for Mother Bear" for flute alone • "Evensong" for orchestra
Places
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Places
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Youngstown.
Birth place
Cleveland Heights.
Death place
Honors and awards
In the course of his career, Erb earned considerable recognition. He received the 1992 Rome Prize and was composer-in-residence with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He was Distinguished Professor of Composition, Emeritus, at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland, Ohio. He has received grants and fellowships from the Rockefeller, Guggenheim, Ford, Fromm, and Koussevitzky foundations. For a list of Erb's notable students, Donald He died at his home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on August 12, 2008, at the age of 81.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Donald Erb, revision 1372704354 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 24 August 2026.
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