Following the sad news this morning of the death of James Primosch, I have only just learned of the passing of another Philadelphia composer. Harold Boatrite died on Monday at the age of 89.
Boatrite studied with Stanley Hollingsworth (himself a pupil of Darius Milhaud and Gian Carlo Menotti). On a scholarship, he attended Tanglewood for further lessons with Lukas Foss and Aaron Copland. In 1961, he was invited by Rudolf Serkin to serve as composer-in-residence at the Marlboro Music Festival.
Six years later, Boatrite received an honorary doctorate from Combs College of Music. He taught theory and composition at Haverford College until 1980. From 1974 to 1977, he also served on the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Boatrite’s output spanned chamber and solo instrumental music to large-scale choral and orchestral works. His compositions have been performed throughout the United States and Europe, most notably at the Prague Autumn International Music Festival. A ballet, “Childermas,” was nationally broadcast on CBS television in 1969.
Boatrite served for many years as a new music consultant to the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. His chamber works were recorded for the Capstone label, and his orchestral scores are housed in the Edwin A. Fleisher Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia.
For the second time today, R.I.P.
“Serenade for Oboe and Strings”
“Ave Maria”
Piano Concerto
“Adagio for Strings”