James H. Willey, (1939 – 2026) SUNY Geneseo Professor of Music, Composer

James Willey attended the Eastman School of Music, earning a bachelor's degree in 1961, a master's in 1963 and his Ph.D. in Composition in 1972. While at the Eastman School he studied composition with Bernard Rodgers and Howard Hanson. In 1964 Willey went to the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood where he studied with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gunther Schuller.

Willey began his teaching career at SUNY Geneseo in 1966, received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1978, and was awarded the rank of Distinguished Teaching Professor in 1990. He retired from the college in 2000.

Willey compiled an impressive record of compositions, recordings and publications and continued to compose and present premieres of new works after his retirement. Many of his compositions were premiered or performed in prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, South Mountain in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Library of Congress (Coolidge Auditorium), and the Hirshorn Museum at the Smithsonian Institution. His works were programmed by several conductors on international reputation including David Zinman, former conductor of the Rotterdam, Baltimore and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestras, and Mark Elder, music director of the Halle Orchestra and former director of the English National Opera.

During his life, Willey's works were performed by a wide range of ensembles, including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Esterhazy Quartet, the Tremont String Quartet, the Society for New Music and College. His place in American music has also been recognized by institutions and music academics across the county, including the Eastman School of Music, the University of Missouri-Columbia, Ithaca College, Boston University, Williams College, Syracuse University and Michigan State University.

He received three National Endowment for the Arts Composer Fellowships, held residencies at the Yaddo artists' Colony in Saratoga Springs, NY, a fellowship at the Composers Conference in Johnson, VT and was a semi-finalist for the 1991 Kennedy Center/Friedheim Awards for his String Quartet No. 6.

He was predeceased by his parents, George and Odessa Willey, and sister, Elizabeth (Robert) Taylor. He is survived by a nephew, Andrew Taylor of Middleboro, MA and several cousins.

A Graveside Service will be held at Temple Hill Cemetery at a date and time to be announced in the Spring of 2026.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Office of Advancement, Eastman School of Music, 26 Gibbs St., Rochester, NY 14604.