Henry Wolking
Floridian Henry Wolking—composer, trombonist, conductor, teacher, and author—spent his college years at the University of Florida in the horn line for a soul band, touring the “juke joints” of the black backwaters of northern Florida. He completed a Master of Music degree, studying composition with Martin Mailman, at the University of North Texas in 1971. At the age of 24, he began his teaching career as head of the jazz area at the University of Utah. He won second prize in the International Trombone Composition Contest in 1973, the beginning of his successful, consistently productive career as a serious composer. Since then his works have been performed and recorded by many orchestras, including London, Utah, New Mexico, Baltimore, Phoenix, Colorado Springs, Nashville, Fairbanks, North Carolina, and Cincinnati Symphonies; the Louisville Orchestra and the BBC Jazz Orchestra; and the Boise and Warsaw Philharmonic.
A trombonist and prolific, highly diverse composer who recently retired from The University of Utah?s School of Music after nearly 40 years, Henry Wolking has found creative inspiration in writing for every imaginable type of large and small ensemble in classical and jazz music. His prodigious orchestral output includes symphonies, fantasies and an overture as well as eight concertos featuring various soloists such as jazz quartet, trombone, flute, heckelphone, bassoon, contrabassoon, two pianos and horn. Major music outlets have published more than 50 of his jazz and brass chamber ensemble works. His catalogue of orchestral, band and jazz ensemble works also is offered through his own company, Wolking Music Publication.