Collection: William L. Montgomery collection of music for flute

The William L. Montgomery collection of music for flute includes approximately 10,700 scores for solo flute, flute in chamber works, large format works, and pedagogical materials. The materials are from the 17th century through 21st century, with the bulk of items found within the 17th and 20th centuries. Baroque and 20th Century works are the most comprehensive representation. Noted composers collected include Baroque composers such as J.S. Bach, CPE Bach, Blavet, Couperin, Handel, Haydn, L'oeillet, Quantz, Telemann, Vivaldi; and 20th century composers: Gary Schocker, Robert Baksa, Malcom Arnold, Jindrich Feld, Gieseking, Ralph R Geunther, Wilf Holcombe, Gordon Jacob, Kenneth Laufer, Otto Luening. Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist slightly less represented, but still strong, including works by classical composers: Mozart, JC Bach, Beethoven, Devienne, Kuhlau, Hasse, Hummel; Romantic period: Boehm, Demersseman, Wilhelm Popp, Franz Schubert, Arr. Mary Jean Simpson; and Impressionists: Debussy and Gaubert. Avant-garde is lightly represented with works by noted composers such as Jolivet, Kazuo Fukushima.

Dates

1600-2010

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room during SCPA’s operating hours. Please contact the curator for an inventory, to book an appointment to view the materials in person, or if you have questions related to digital access of the materials.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright was not transferred to the University of Maryland with the physical gift of the scores. For those works not in public domain, the composers, their heirs, or their publishers retain any copyright possessed in the collection. The University of Maryland Libraries is granted permission for the use in scholarly research by the Libraries’ patrons under fair use in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.

Extent

10,700 Scores

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

William Layton Montgomery (b. March 28, 1934; Waco, Texas - d. December 31, 2023) was an American flutist and educator. He was the Professor of Flute, Chamber Music, and Wind Pedagogy at the University of Maryland, College Park (1964-2016), and previously taught at the Catholic University (1959-1964) and the George Washington University. At the University of Maryland (UMD), Montgomery was the Director of Graduate Studies in Music, the Chairman of the Summer Senior Scholars Program, the Chairman of the Wind & Percussion Division, and the Chair of the University of Maryland Senate (2007-2008). He also created and managed the William Montgomery Summer Flute Master Class from 1977 into the 2000s.

Montgomery received a BME degree in Music Education and Flute from the Cornell College of Iowa studying with Richard Morse (1950-1953). He received training from William Kincaid at the Curtis Institute of Music (1953-1954), and from Marcel Moyse at the Marlboro School in Marlboro, Vermont (1951-52). Montgomery received a M.M. degree in Flute Performance and Music Theory (1957) from the Catholic University of America studying with William Kincaid, and subsequently a Ph.D degree in Historical Musicology (1975) from the same institution. Montgomery’s Ph.D. dissertation examined the 18th century French flutist Francois Devienne, titled The Life and Works of Francois Devienne.

Montgomery gave his New York City solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 1960. He subsequently performed solo recital tours throughout the United States and Europe. His ensemble appearances included Principal Flute with the Washington Opera Society Orchestra (1968-1974), the National Gallery of Art Orchestra (1965-1988), the Washington Chamber Orchestra, and U.S. Marine Band and Orchestra (1954-1963). Montgomery was solo flutist with the Theater Chamber Players of the Kennedy Center, and appeared as a soloist or chamber musician with organizations such as the New York Philharmonic Octet, the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, the Guarneri String Quartet, and the Cassatt String Quartet.

Montgomery was Director of and Soloist with the Montgomery Chamber Ensemble, and Producer of the weekly Friday Noon Concert Series at the Arts Club of Washington. He served as President of the National Flute Association (1976-1977), Program chairman for the National Flute Association Conventions in Atlanta, GA (1976) and Denver, CO (1985), and President of the Flute Society of Washington. He was the recipient of the Flute Society of Washington’s President’s Award in 2016.

Montgomery’s other administrative positions included Trustee of the Endowment at the Arts Club, Member of the Board of Directors of the Marcel Moyse Society, Member of the Board of Advisors for Flute Talk magazine, Contributing Editor and Member of the Board of Advisors for the Instrumentalist magazine, Member of the Arts Panel for the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts, Consultant to the Music Division of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., a Contributor to the New Grove Dictionary of Music, and a Member of the U.S. Fulbright Selection Committee in Music.

Montgomery authored various articles on flute and flute playing, and appeared in notices in the Who’s Who in the East in the International Who’s Who in Music. He is the subject of Linda Kirkpatrick’s DMA Dissertation The Pedagogical Techniques and Methods of Flutist William Montgomery (1997), which provides information regarding his pedagogical techniques, methods, and biography. Kirkpatrick also provides an index outlining Montgomery’s achievements, performances, honors and awards, music affiliations, publications, and a transcript of an interview. He appeared on various CD and LP recordings as a soloist and chamber musician, and has recitals archived by the University of Maryland’s Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library.

SOURCES “Past Program Chairs.” The National Flute Association Online. http://www.nfaonline.org/convention/convention-archives/past-program-chairs (accessed June, 24 2019)

“Past Presidents”. The National Flute Association Online. http://www.nfaonline.org/about/leadership-staff/past-presidents (accessed June 24, 2019)

“William Montgomery, Flute Professor and Performer at the University of Maryland.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-montgomery-79605158 (accessed June 24, 2019)

“William Montgomery.” The University of Maryland Senate. https://www.senate.umd.edu/william-montgomery (accessed June 24, 2019) “The President’s Award.” The Flute Society of Washington. https://fsw.net/page-1796471 (accessed June 24, 2019)

DeLio, Thomas, Robert Gibson, Lawrence Moss, and Mark Wilson. Soundscape. Spectrum SR 114, 1982, LP.

Moss, Lawrence. Unseen Leaves: Music for Electronics and Instruments. James Ostryniec, Ruth Ducker, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, William Montgomery, Esther Lamneck, and Harry Sparnaay. Electronic Music Foundation EMF CD 045, 2003, 1 compact disc.

Wilson, Mark. Time Variations. Left Bank Quartet, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, and William Montgomery. Capstone Records CPS-8803, 2008, 1 compact disc.

Kirkpatrick, Linda Marie. “The Pedagogical Techniques and Methods of Flutist William Montgomery.” DMA diss., University of Maryland, College Park, 1997. Concert Programs. The William Montgomery Papers. Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.