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Gordon Ware Binkerd (1916-2003) was an American classical music composer and pianist. He was an eminent composer who wrote highly productive works for his music genre. His best known compositions include Essays for Piano no. 1, Tomorrow the Fox Will Come to Town, and Through Your Strangeness Frets My Heart.

Birth and Early Life Binkerd was born in Lynch, Nebraska on May 22, 1916. He was the eldest of three boys from Archibald and Verna Jones Binkerd. His talent was first discovered at age fifteen when he was chosen as one of the five best pianists in America, at a national competition in Gregory, South Dakota. Where Binkerd and his family settled due to his father’s Bell Telephone company.

Greatest Achievements: As a blooming composer Gordon was the first professor at the University of Illinois to become a member of its Center for Advanced Study in the year 1959, only entering as a regular teacher in the year of 1949. He then became a Guggenheim fellowship member also in the year of 1959. in the late years of 1964 gordan received the National_Institute_of_Arts_and_Letters award. as a Composer he received many commissions for music from such places as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the University of Illinois, South_Dakota_State_University, the Fromm music foundatrion and Ford

Compositions

 * Sonatina for Flute and Piano (1947)
 * Sonata for Cello and Piano (composed in 1952, First major work)
 * Symphony No. 1 (composed in 1954)
 * Symphony No. 2 (1956-57)
 * String Quartet No. 1 (1957)
 * And I am Old to Know (composed in 1959)
 * Symphony No. 3 (1959)
 * Three Canzonas (1960)
 * Shut out that Moon (1968)
 * Three Songs for Mezzo-Soprano and String Quartet (1971)