Biography.guide
Home › People › Composer › Donald Grantham
Portrait of Donald Grantham

Donald Grantham

b. 1947

American composer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Donald Grantham

Born 1947. Donald Grantham is an American composer.

Donald Grantham (born November 9, 1947) is an American composer and music educator.

Grantham was born in Duncan, Oklahoma. After receiving a Bachelor of Music from the University of Oklahoma, he received his MM and DMA from the University of Southern California. For two summers he studied under French composer and pedagogue Nadia Boulanger at the American Conservatory in France. His music has won many awards, including the Prix Lili Boulanger, the ASCAP Rudolf Nissim Prize, and First Prize in the National Opera Association's Biennial Composition Competition. Grantham is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and three separate grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. The symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Cleveland, and Dallas are among the ensembles that have performed his work. He also collaborated with fellow composer Kent Kennan on the textbook The Technique of Orchestration.

Grantham teaches music composition at the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music, where he is the Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Centennial Professor of Music.

Well-known pieces include Southern Harmony and Kentucky Harmony for band. His most famous piece is Baron Cimetiere's Mambo.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Oklahoma, USC Thornton School of Music
Employers
University of Texas at Austin
Awards
Guggenheim Fellowship; Arts and Letters Award in Music; Lili Boulanger Memorial Prize

People in Donald Grantham's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Donald Grantham's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Donald Grantham?

American composer

When was Donald Grantham born?

Donald Grantham was born on 9 November 1947 in Duncan.

What is Donald Grantham's occupation?

Donald Grantham is a composer.

What nationality is Donald Grantham?

Donald Grantham is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Donald Grantham

· Wikidata: Q5294440

· DBpedia: Donald Grantham

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Donald Grantham. https://biography.guide/donald-grantham/

MLA: "Donald Grantham." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/donald-grantham/.

Chicago: "Donald Grantham." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/donald-grantham/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:27 UTC