Paul Ramsier
Paul Ramsier (September 23, 1937 – January 31, 2021) was a classical composer most noted for his contributions to the bass literature. Ramsier, born in Louisville, Kentucky, showed promise as a pianist at the age of five, and began composing at nine. At sixteen, he entered the University of Louisville School of Music. His graduate studies included piano with Beveridge Webster at the Juilliard School and composition with Ernst von Dohnányi at Florida State University. In his early career in New York City, he was a staff pianist with the New York City Ballet where he was influenced by Balanchine and Stravinsky. During that period he studied composition with Alexei Haieff. Ramsier's output includes orchestral, opera, choral, instrumental and chamber works, but his best known contribution to contemporary music is his body of work for the double bass, which has established him as a major figure in the development of the instrument. His renowned double bass compositions include four works with orchestra beginning with the landmark Divertimento Concertante on a Theme of Couperin. The Divertimento Concertante and three subsequent works—Road to Hamelin, Eusebius Revisited, and Silent Movie—have since become bass standards, and are regarded as the most performed compositions for