Education
He began composing at an early age and attended the Eastman School of Music, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1961, a master’s in 1963, and his Doctor of Philosophy in Music Theory and Composition in 1972. He studied composition with Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson. In 1964, Willey went to the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood where he studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gunther Schuller.
Career
He retired from the college in 2000. Willey has compiled an impressive record of compositions, recordings and publications, and has continued to compose and present premiers of new works since his retirement. Many of his compositions have been premiered or performed in prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, Steinway Hall, the Smithsonian Opera House and the Seattle Opera House.
Willey’s works have been performed by a wide range of ensembles, including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the RPO, the Seattle Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Esterhazy Quartet (String Quartets Nos 1, 2 & 6.
Released by Cryptography Research Inc/ NWR) and the Tremont String Quartet.