Richard Willis

1969: Aria and Toccata

Richard Willis (1929–1997) was an emeritus professor of music and composer-in-residence at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He received a bachelor of music degree from the University of Alabama in 1950, a master of music in composition degree from the Eastman School of Music in 1951, and a PhD from Eastman in 1964.

Willis was a prolific composer whose works were performed throughout the United States and around the world. He received several notable awards for his compositions, including the 1956 Prix de Rome, the Joseph Bearns Prize, and the Howard Hanson Prize. He won the ABA Ostwald Award in 1969 for Aria and Toccata.