Robert Hughes (American composer)

For other people named Robert Hughes, see Robert Hughes (disambiguation).
Robert Grove Hughes
Hughes in Kyoto, Japan in 1984.
Born1933
Amherst, New York, US
Died2022
Emeryville, California, US
EraContemporary
Known for
  • Composer
  • conductor
  • bassoonist
  • music scholar
SpouseMargaret Fisher (1996–2022; his death)
WebsiteRobert Hughes

Robert Grove Hughes (1933–2022) was an American composer, conductor, bassoonist and music scholar based in the San Francisco Bay Area.[1][2][3] He was known for his wide-ranging artistic interests—extending to poetry, performance art and social commentary—and advocacy of contemporary, often experimental music.[4][5][6] San Francisco Chronicle critic Joshua Kosman described Hughes as a visionary and "musical Zelig" who "played a key role in a vast range of ambitious and influential musical projects."[1] In the 1960s, Hughes co-founded the long-running Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and co-founded and led the award-winning Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra.[7][8][9] In subsequent decades he co-founded and led the Arch Ensemble for Experimental Music with baritone vocalist Thomas Buckner and co-directed the performance group MA FISH CO with his wife, artist Margaret Fisher.[10][11][12]

In his work as a composer and conductor, critics noted Hughes's fluency in an array of different styles, from overtly avant-garde to accessible, and his ambitious, adventurous programs.[13][14][15][9] He wrote commissioned works for the San Francisco Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Cabrillo Festival and San Francisco Ballet[16][17][1] and contributed scores to the Hollywood movie Never Cry Wolf and to James Broughton's The Golden Positions.[5] Hughes collaborated with diverse artists including Lou Harrison, Laurie Anderson, Frank Zappa and Ezra Pound,[18][19][20][4] and for more than three decades was a bassoonist in various Bay Area orchestras and groups.[5][21][22] He died in Emeryville, California at age 88 on August 11, 2022.[23]

  1. ^ a b c Kosman, Joshua. "Composer, conductor, impresario, bassoonist — Robert Hughes did it all," San Francisco Chronicle, October 28, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Shere, Charles. "Huzzah for Robert Hughes,'" Oakland Tribune, October 14, 1974, p. 24.
  3. ^ New Music USA. Robert Grove Hughes, Online Library. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Hertelendy, Paul. "Choral Collage a Tribute to Ezra Pound," Oakland Tribune, June 12, 1975, p. 22.
  5. ^ a b c Herman, Kenneth. "Anti-War Ode Inspires Ma Fish Co Score," "Los Angeles Times", June 14, 1986. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  6. ^ Hertelendy, Paul. "Symphony Spotlight on Hughes, Kell," Oakland Tribune, April 22, 1973.
  7. ^ Alsop, Marin. "An Oasis Of New Music At The Cabrillo Festival," NPR, July 31, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  8. ^ Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. "Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music Announces its 61st Season," March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Shere, Charles. "Oakland Youth Orchestra conquers Italian cathedral," Oakland Tribune, August 24, 1980.
  10. ^ Tircuit, Heuwell. "A Daring Step for the Arch Ensemble," San Francisco Chronicle, January 8, 1972.
  11. ^ Raddue Gordon. "A citadel of hope for the innovative in the world of music," The Richmond Independent and Gazette, February 17, 1980, p. 3.
  12. ^ Tucker, Marilyn. "Ma Fish Co's Odd Mix of Dance and Film," San Francisco Chronicle, July 21, 1989.
  13. ^ Benson, Jack. "Cabrillo's 'Auras' an Attack on Senses, But Expertly Done," San Jose Mercury, August 27, 1972.
  14. ^ Shere, Charles. "The Youth Symphony's Offbeat 'Cadences,'" Oakland Tribune, May 11, 1976.
  15. ^ Rockwell, John. "Youth Orchestra Responsive, Alive," Oakland Tribune, May 26, 1969.
  16. ^ Hertelendy, Paul. "Albany Composer Robert Hughes: Tailoring Music to the Performers," Oakland Tribune, July 31, 1977, p. 17-E.
  17. ^ Tucker, Marilyn. "Soaring Cabrillo Festival,'" San Francisco Chronicle, August 30, 1971, p. 38.
  18. ^ Tucker, Marilyn. "An Imaginative 'Pacifika Rondo,'" San Francisco Chronicle, May 26, 1969.
  19. ^ Walsh, Alex. "Robert Hughes: A Modernist Fascination," AFM Musicians Union Local Six. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  20. ^ Kisselgoff, Anna. "The Lyons Opera Ballet Tangles with Zappa," The New York Times], September 24, 1990. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  21. ^ Hill, Sarah. San Francisco and the Long 60s, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  22. ^ Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. Fearless@50, Santa Cruz, CA: Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, 2012.
  23. ^ The New York Times. Robert Hughes Obituary," Legacy.com, September 7–8, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2023.