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American composer Alfred Reed was born in Manhattan, New York City on 25 January 1921. Reed was one of the most important twentieth century American composers of music for concert bands and wind ensembles. He joined the US Air Force during World War II and was assistant conductor and radio production director for the 529th Army Air Force Band. After leaving the army, he studied at the Juilliard School with Vittorio Giannini.
He worked as staff arranger for NBC and ABC, executive editor of Hansen Publications (1955-1966), and was professor of music at Miami University from 1966 until 1993.
He won many awards for his band music, and in his later years developed a close relationship with the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra and Senzoku Garden University in Japan, with whom he conducted frequent performances and recordings of his own compositions. He was in the process of recording a complete CD series of his band music, of which many volumes are available.
Among his most popular works for band are: El Camino Real, Armenian Dances (Parts I and II), Russian Christmas Music, and a series of symphonies for wind ensembles.
Alfred Reed passed away on the afternoon of 17 September 2005 in Miami, Florida, aged eighty-four.