Donald Erb

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.^[1] 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.^[1] Three years later, he earned a Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music.^[1] In 1964, Erb earned a Doctorate in Music from Indiana University Bloomington, where he studied with Bernhard Heiden.^[1][2]

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.^[1] He has received grants and fellowships from the Rockefeller, Guggenheim, Ford, Fromm, and Koussevitzky foundations.^[1]

For a list of Erb's notable students, See: List of music students by teacher: C to F#Donald Erb.

He died at his home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, on August 12, 2008, at the age of 81.^[3]

• 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

• Donald Erb's page at Theodore Presser Company
• Obituary from New York Times, August 15, 2008
• Donald Erb bio ^{[permanent dead link‍]} as listed by the Cleveland Composers Guild Archived 2011-02-10 at the Wayback Machine
• Interview with Donald Erb, February 28, 1985