Don Ray: Piano Concerto & Suite No. 2 From Family Portrait

Don Ray was born, reared and educated in Southern California, where he took his B.A. at U.C.L.A. and his M.A. from California State University. He joined the CBS-TV Music Staff in 1956 and remained there as Music Supervisor until retirement in 1986. While there, he composed scores for G.E. Theater, Gunsmoke, Twilight Zone, CBS Movie-of-the-Week, and Hawaii Five-O, the latter bringing an Emmy nomination for best dramatic score. On leaving CBS, he turned to writing concert music. He has also been active in teaching film scoring techniques. His Piano Concerto is in four movements, employs the standard symphony orchestra and lasts about 40 minutes. It was begun in Dublin in 2000 and completed in Los Angeles in 2001. Family Portrait, Suite No. 2 contains a series of character studies and events in the family of the composer's grandparents who homesteaded a farm in the American Northwest around 1900. This suite is drawn from the original work which has thirteen movements.