Charles Mills (composer)

Charles Mills (January 8, 1914 – March 7, 1982) was an American composer and music critic. A skilled woodwind player with a background as a jazz musician in his young adulthood, he was a prolific composer for the recorder^[1] and produced six symphonies.^[2] His compositions also included fugues, sonatas and concerti among other traditional forms of classical music. He was heavily influenced by Baroque music, and blended Baroque contrapuntal style with American idioms.^[2] While mainly a classical composer, he also wrote some pieces for jazz ensemble.^[2]

Charles Mills was born in Asheville, North Carolina on January 8, 1914.^[2] A self taught musician, he began earning a living as a musician in jazz bands at the age of 17. He worked as a saxophonist, clarinetist, and flute player.^[1] The music of his childhood, folk songs native to the Carolinas and African-American spirituals, later became influences in his adult compositions. He was also heavily influenced by the jazz of the dance orchestras he played in during the 1920s.^[1]

In 1933 Mills relocated to New York City where he initially studied music composition with Max Garfield.^[1] He subsequently studied with Aaron Copland from 1935 to 1937, Roger Sessions from 1937 to 1939, and Roy Harris from 1939 to 1941.^[2] He worked in New York as a critic for the quarterly journal Modern Music; focusing mainly on music on the radio, and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1952. He taught on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music where he was head of the composition department in 1954–1955.^[1]

Mills converted to Roman Catholicism and was baptized in that faith on May 14, 1944.^[2] He died in New York City on March 7, 1982.^[1]