Alvin Lucier

Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. (May 14, 1931 – December 1, 2021) was an American experimental composer and sound artist. A long-time music professor at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, Lucier was a member of the influential Sonic Arts Union, which also included Robert Ashley, David Behrman, and Gordon Mumma. Much of Lucier’s work explores psychoacoustic phenomena and the physical properties of sound. Early life Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. was born on May 14, 1931, in Nashua, New Hampshire, to Kathryn E. Lemery, a pianist, and Alvin Augustus Lucier Sr., a lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Nashua from 1934 to 1937. He was educated in Nashua public and parochial schools; the Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island; Yale University; and Brandeis University. In 1970, Lucier left Brandeis for Wesleyan University, where he would remain until his retirement. In 1972, Lucier became a musical director of the Viola Farber Dance Company, a position he held until 1979. Personal life Lucier was married to his first wife, Mary, until their divorce in 1972. He then married Wendy Stokes; they had one daughter and remained together until his death. Other works Other ke