Missouri Classical Music News and Notes

Gerald E. Kemner, age 74, passed away January 26, 2007 at Sweet Life at Rosehill, Shawnee, KS. He was born September 28, 1932 in Kansas City, MO to Louis Webster and Mabel (Huhn) Kemner.

Dr. Kemner attended Paseo High School, University of Kansas City (now UMKC), and Yale University. He received his doctorate from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he studied under Howard Hanson. He taught music at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, and the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City until retirement. . . .

As a prolific composer, Gerald Kemner has received frequent commissions to compose, and his music is performed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. In addition to his choral and instrumental works, he composed the original score for the Missouri Repertory Theatre's production of Brecht's Good Person of Szechuan and Shakespeare's Macbeth. He also wrote the score of the western world's premiere of The Family, translated from Chinese and directed by Ying Roucheng for the UMKC Department of Theater in 1982. The Family has since been televised throughout Mainland China. With James Mobberley, Kemner wrote the music for the made-for-TV movie, Copperhead, entered in the Cannes Film Festival. Other commissions include the score for Brecht's Mother Courage for Santa Clara University and the score for an original opera, Duze and D'Annunzio, based on a play written by UMKC theater professor Felicia Londre and funded by a University of Missouri Weldon Spring grant.

As a pianist and harpsichordist, Kemner has performed as a soloist throughout the Midwest, with the Kansas City Philharmonic (now the Kansas City Symphony) and with the Klausner-Kemner Duo.

Kemner earned a bachelor of arts degree in piano in 1953 at the Conservatory of Music. He entered Yale University School of Music and received a bachelor of music degree in 1955 and a master of music degree in 1956. In 1962, he graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a doctor of musical arts degree.

Some of Kemner's compositions are available online as sheet music or recordings:

Now Shout

Several compositions

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir recording of Now Shout (audio
sample in RealAudio format)

Verbum Supernum Prodiens

Organ arrangements