{{Short description|American composer, band director, and professor}} thumb|Charles Cushing in 1929. '''Charles Cook Cushing''' (December 8, 1905 – April 14, 1982) was an American composer, band director, and professor of music.<ref name="Grove">{{Cite encyclopedia|date=2001|entry=Cushing, Charles (Cook)|encyclopedia=Grove Music Online|publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.06978|first=Valerie Brooks |last= Samson}}</ref>

==Early life and education== The son of Henry D. Cushing,<ref name="Wed">{{cite news|title=Miss Charlotte Crosby Cerf to Wed Mr. Charles Cook Cushing: Marriage Will Take Place in Santa Cruz|work=The San Francisco Call Bulletin|date=August 1, 1935| page= 7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-call-bulletin-miss-cha/190420929/}}</ref> Charles Cook Cushing was born in Oakland, California<ref name="Obit"/> on December 8, 1905.<ref name="Grove"/> He displayed a strong talent for music as a young school boy.<ref name="Obit"/> In his youth he studied music in Oakland with Cora W. Jenkins<ref>{{cite news|title=Music Pupils to Play at Recital|work=Oakland Tribune|date=May 20, 1924|page= 13}}</ref> who founded a music school in Oakland in 1898, and was one of the few teachers in the region to encourage music composition.<ref>{{cite news|title=Music School Head|work=Oakland Tribune|volume= 167|number= 133|date=November 10, 1947|page=C8}}</ref> He graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1923 by which time he had already gained a positive local reputation as a conductor of local music groups and composer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/oakland-tribune-52-graduates-get-golden/190421695/|title=52 Graduates Get Golden 'T' at Tech High|work=Oakland Tribune|date= June 8, 1923|page= 5}}</ref>

While in high school Cushing played first violin in a local string quartet,<ref>{{cite news|title=Musicale for Snell Memorial|work=Oakland Tribune|date= March 22, 1923|page= 10}}</ref> and took classes in orchestration and conducting.<ref>{{cite news|title=Technical High School Pupils to Give Music Festival|work=Oakland Tribune|date=May 6, 1923|page= 34}}</ref> After graduation he continued to study at the Jenkins School of Music in Oakland<ref>{{cite news|title=Pupils in Music|work=Oakland Tribune|date= May 17, 1925|page=6S}}</ref> before pursuing further training at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) where he graduated with a bachelors degree in 1928.<ref>{{cite news|title=In the Eastbay Music News|work=Oakland Tribune|date= March 27, 1927|page= 51}}</ref> His undergraduate studies at Berkeley were enabled by winning the Henry Morgan Holbrook Scholarship.<ref>{{cite news|title=Scholarships Totaling $36,000 Awarded to U.C. Students|work=The Oakland Post Enquirer|date=May 11, 1927|page= 5}}</ref> One of his professors was concert trombonist and timpanist Modeste Eugene Alloo (1884-1975) who led the university's band which Cushing conducted in concerts under Alloo's guidance. He also studied with Glen Haydon at Berkeley.<ref>{{cite news|title=U.C. Band Will Play Today|work=Oakland Tribune|date= April 8, 1928|page= 36}}</ref>

After earning his undergraduate diploma, Cushing remained at UCB for graduate studies during which time he concurrently taught on the faculty of the Jenkins Schools of Music.<ref>{{cite news|title=Music School Opens New Season Monday|work=Oakland Tribune|date= August 5, 1928|page= 37}}</ref> He earned a Master's degree from UCB in 1929 with his final master's degree composition project being a "String Quartet in F minor"<ref>{{cite news|title=Oakland Composer Wins Scholarship|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=May 17, 1929|page= 8}}</ref> which was premiered on the radio in June 1929.<ref>{{cite news|title=Piedmont to Honor Turing and Cushing|work=Oakland Tribune|date=June 2, 1929|page=6}}</ref> During his studies at UCB he was encouraged by visiting French Composer Charles Koechlin during the summers of 1928 and 1929. He won the George Ladd Prix de Paris prize,<ref>{{cite news|title=57 Awarded Graduate Fellowships|work=Oakland Tribune|date= May 15, 1929|page= 3}}</ref> allowing him to study with Nadia Boulanger at the École Normale de Musique in Paris for two years.<ref name="Grove"/>

==Later life and career== In 1935 Cushing married Charlotte Crosby Cerf.<ref name="Wed"/> He began teaching music at the University of California, Berkeley in 1931. Served as the Director of the Cal Band in from 1934 to 1952. Taught as a full professor from 1948 through 1968.<ref name="Grove"/> In 1952 he was honored by the Government of France by being made a Knight of the Legion of Honour.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-berkeley-gazette-obituaries-charles/190419563/|title=Obituaries: Charles Cook Cushing|work=The Berkeley Gazette|date= April 15, 1982| page= 4}}</ref> He received numerous commissions during his career, including composing ''Angel Camp'' for the United States Military Academy for its 150th anniversary in 1952.<ref name="Obit"/>

Friend of Igor Stravinsky. Notable students include Jonathan Elkus, Roger Nixon and Loren Rush.

Cushing died at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California on April 14, 1982 at the age of 76.<ref name="Obit">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-francisco-chronicle-obituaries-char/190418669/|title=Obituaries: Charles Cook Cushing|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=April 15, 1982| page= 47}}</ref>

==Selected works== *''Carmen saeculare'' for chorus and orchestra (1935) * Angel Camp for Band (1952) * Cereus, Poem for Orchestra (1959) * Divertimento for String Orchestra * Piece for Clarinet and Piano * Pas de Deux * Petite Suite for symphonic Band (Composer: Béla Bartók Arranger: Charles Cushing)

==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb4d5nb20m&doc.view=content&chunk.id=div00039&toc.depth=1&brand=calisphere&anchor.id=0 California Digital Library] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070901001757/http://www.calband.berkeley.edu/calband/cbaa/historybook1993/01/#i1.11 The University of California Marching Band]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cushing, Charles}} Category:20th-century American male composers Category:1905 births Category:1982 deaths Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour Category:Musicians from California Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:University of California, Berkeley College of Letters and Science faculty Category:Place of birth missing Category:20th-century American composers