Alfred H. Bartles was born in 1930 in Nashville, Tennessee, and was a composer, arranger, cellist, teacher, and jazz pianist. He began his piano studies at an early age and played cornet and euphonium in his high school band. His interest in jazz led him to study with jazz pianist Lennie Tristano, after which he worked as an arranger-pianist for the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He studied with Roy and Johana Harris at the George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, obtained a Bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Mississippi (1953) and a Master’s degree in composition from Ohio University (1954), where he studied with Karl Ahrendt. He studied cello with Claus Adam and Luigi Silva, and went on to play professionally in the St. Louis Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Radio City Music Hall, various Broadway shows and with Mantovani. Bartles moved to New York City in 1954 where he played in jazz clubs in and around the area, and began his long connection with eurythmy, Waldorf education, and anthroposophy. In 1968 he founded the composition program at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and taught there for several summers throughout the remainder of his life.

In 1969, Bartles received a grant in composition from a private foundation which gave him the opportunity to compose and study the teaching of music in the Waldorf schools of Germany. He spent four years in Europe, where he taught music theory and history as well as directing the chorus at the Schiller International University campuses in Heidelberg and Bönnigheim. In 1973, he returned to the United States to teach at Tennessee Technological University and play principal cello with the Bryan Symphony (Cookeville, Tennessee). He also performed regularly with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

Bartles returned to Germany in 1977 to teach cello at the Stuttgart Musikschule and to teach the music courses at the Eurythmeum. He remained in Germany until mandatory retirement in 1996 and then returned definitively to Nashville where he continued to compose, play cello in regional orchestras and teach cello at Murray State University (Kentucky) and Austin Peay State University (Tennessee). In 1999 he was named “Composer of the Year” by the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Music Teachers. Bartles died of cancer on Dec. 28, 2006.

Nov. 10, 1930

Born in Nashville to Paul Bartles and Martha Howell Bartles

1935

Father dies from after-effects of poison gas from WWI; Alfred and his mother live with Isabel Howell, Martha’s younger sister who worked as a librarian at Vanderbilt University and the Tennessee State Library

1937-1944

Studies piano with Miss Frank Hollowell, a cousin and organist at First Baptist Church in Nashville

1944-48

Attends Hillsboro High School, plays cornet and euphonium in the Hillsboro High School Band

Summers 1949, 1950, 1952

Studies with Lennie Tristano, jazz pianist in New York City

Fall 1949

Attends Vanderbilt with the intention of pursuing pre-medical curriculum

1950

Transfers to George Peabody College for Teachers and studies with Roy Harris and Johana Harris

Aug. 1950-Apr. 1952

Called to active duty with Army Reserves (Korean War), plays trombone in the band and serves as arranger-pianist

1952

Transfers to the University of Mississippi and at age 22, begins cello studies using his grandfather’s cello; meets Claus Adam when the New Music Quartet visits the University of Mississippi; meets Martha Jean Smith, piano student from Newton, Mississippi, who would later become his wife; writes a short piece for the New Music Quartet which they performed while there

Summer, 1953

Graduates from University of Mississippi with a B.A. in Music and follows Martha Jean Smith to Ohio University in Athens. Studies composition with Karl Ahrendt; receives assistantship in composition

Summer, 1954

Graduates from Ohio University with a Master of Fine Arts in Composition

1953-1954

Composes Theme in Three for orchestra and a 12-tone piece, Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano

1954

Marries Martha Jean Smith on January 31

Fall, 1954

Alfred and Martha move to New York City; Alfred studies structural hearing at Mannes School of Music with Felix Salzer and cello with Claus Adam; employed as a chief packer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while awaiting membership in Musicians’ Union Local 802

1954

Introduced to Francis Edmunds, a Rudolf Steiner educator from England; Alfred and Martha join Youth Group that studied books on Steiner. They begin their long connection with eurythmy, Waldorf education, and anthroposophy

1954

Martha begins accompanying and playing for dance classes, including eurythmy classes at the Rudolf Steiner School

December, 1954

Becomes member of musicians’ union in New York City and plays piano in jazz clubs in and around New York City

Summer, 1956

In Aspen, Colorado

Summer, 1957

In Blue Hill, Maine

1959-1969

Plays cello in 13 Broadway shows, Radio City Music Hall, the Little Orchestra Society of New York (Thomas Schermann, conductor), in Mantovani’s orchestra on several tours, the Springfield Symphony, and the St. Louis Symphony

1959

First daughter Isabel is born on August 20

1960s

Alfred’s music begins to be published by The Brass Press, Sam Fox Music Publishers, Boosey & Hawkes, MJQ Music Publishers, and Kendor Music Publishers

1964

Seven Easy Pieces for Beginning Cellists is published by Vanilla Music Publishing

1963

Second daughter, Julia is born on November 8

1966

Receives commission from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, composes Music for Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble

1968

Founds the composition program at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival at the University of the South and returns to teach there many times during the next three decades

1969

Receives grant to study the teaching of music in Waldorf Schools in Germany and to compose

1969-1973

Composes the Piano Sonata, Excalibur for Symphonic Band, Engadine Overture for orchestra, and Lament, Variations & Metamorphosis for woodwind quintet

1970

Begins teaching at Schiller International University (Heidelberg and Bönnigheim campuses); teaches music history and theory as well as conducting the chorus

1970

Completes the composition Excalibur for Band or Young Orchestra

1973

Moves to CookevMIe, Tennessee, to teach music theory and cello at Tennessee Technological University for the next four years. Bartles plays cello with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra; he meets R. Winston, tuba/euphonium professor at Tennessee Technological University, and begins composing tuba music

1976

Composes When Tubas Waltz for R. Winston Morris

1977

Alfred and Martha return to Germany and begin teaching at the Eurythmeum Stuttgart (home to both a school of eurythmy and a professional performing group); Martha is resident pianist and Alfred teaches all the music courses; he composes Ballad for Fluegelhorn and Jazz Ensemble (recorded at the Süddeutscher Rundfunk by Erwin Lehn and performed by Ackvan Rooyen (flugelhornist) and the Jazz Ensemble)

1978

John F. (Del) Sawyer, Director of the Blair Academy, asks Alfred to write a composition for chorus and orchestra for the Nashville Youth Symphony featuring a favorite poem of Valere Blair Potter titled And Well I Shall Be There; it is later performed at the War Memorial in Nashville by the Nashville Youth Symphony and McGavock High School Chorus, conducted by Jay Dawson

1980

Martha successively accepts positions at the Waldorf School, the Stuttgarter Musikschule, and the Stuttgarter Hochschule für Musik; she also accepts a full-time position at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg and continues there until mandatory retirement in 1997

1981-1982

Alfred receives commission from Israeli violinist Yair Kless and writes Lyric Poem for violin and piano; the work premieres in the Liederhalle Stuttgart

1981-1983

Teaches cello at the Stuttgart Music School, and remains there until mandatory retirement in 1996

1983-1984

Composes Duo for Violin and Violoncello for his daughters (Isabel, violin and Julia, cello); the work premieres at the Sewanee Music Festival

1985

Universal Edition publishes the two cello books From the Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach and Leopold Mozart for his Son Wolfgang Amadeus

1985

Bartles’s orchestration of Alban Berg’s Piano Sonate, Op. 1 is premiered by the Berg Foundation as part of the 50- and lOOyear Berg-Berio Fest in Vienna

1988

Adapts the orchestration of Béla Bartók’s First Rhapsody for Violin to make it playable for cello; the work is later premiered in 2003 at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival

1993

Adapts Bartók’s Rumanian Dances for brass quintet

1994

Completes Etudes and Recital Pieces for the Advanced Beginning ‘Cellist, Vol. 1 & 2

1996

Three for Two (cello and bassoon duet) premieres at the Manchester Music Festival (Vermont)

1997

Alfred and Martha move to Nashville; Alfred teaches cello at Murray State University in Kentucky

1997

Alfred teaches at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN; continues to teach privately and compose music; remains active as a free-lance cellist and jazz pianist

1997

Martha accepts position as adjunct Senior Artist Teacher of piano at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University

1998-99

Named “Composer of the Year” by the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Music Teachers; composes Epidaurus for Brass Ensemble and Percussion

1999

Epidaurus for Brass Ensemble and Percussion premieres at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival

2000

Completes The New When Tubas Waltz for tuba/euphonium ensemble (published by Tuba-Euphonium Press), which premieres in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

2000

Arranges Charlie Parker’s Yardbird Suite and Arlen/Parker’s Out of This World for large jazz ensemble which premieres in Nashville; completes Tubossa for Solo Tuba and Symphonic Band which is performed and recorded by Tim Northcut and the Tennessee Technological University Symphony Band

2002-2006

Plays in regional orchestras in Jackson, Tennessee, Paducah, Kentucky, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama

2003

The transcription/arrangement of Bartok’s First Rhapsody for violin/cello premieres at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival (Paul York, cellist)

Dec. 28, 2006

Alfred dies of cancer at his home in Nashville, Tennessee

Jan. 2, 2007

Memorial service held at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee