Alec Wilder was a composer and arranger of jazz, chamber music and popular songs. He was
born February 17, 1907 in Rochester, New York. He studied privately at Eastman School of
Music, though he never enrolled as a student. His professional career in music began as a
songwriter for popular singers such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Cab Calloway, Ethel
Waters and Mabel Mercer. Beginning in the 1950s he shifted his attention to chamber music,
composing for a wide range of instrumental ensembles. His compositions gained him admiration
from jazz greats like Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan and Marian McPartland, as well as classical
musicians like John Barrows, Harvey Philips and Gary Karr.
As a result of his personal friendship with Barrows, Wilder became a frequent visitor to
the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, where, during the spring semester of 1968 as
Composer in Residence, he gave seminars on composition, arranging and contemporary music. He
composed many works for faculty and student groups at UW-Madison such as his 10th woodwind
quintet and 4 short flute duets. His 12th woodwind quintet was written for the Wingra
Woodwind Quintet which they premiered in 1975. In 1972 Wilder published a definitive book on
20th century popular music, American popular song: The great innovators. Wilder died in
1980.
