Potsdam
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’60
Dr. Elliot A. Del Borgo By Alexandra Jacobs Wilke
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UNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music is mourning the passing of Professor Emeritus Dr. Elliot A. Del Borgo ’60, whose compositions and dedication to music education leave a long legacy. Dr. Del Borgo passed away suddenly in May, at the age of 74. “Elliot Del Borgo is remembered on this sad occasion with deep admiration by many at Crane—those who knew him as a student, as a teacher and as a colleague,” The Crane School of Music Dean Dr. Michael Sitton said. “His contributions to the School were very significant, and his influence as a brilliant composer and dedicated music educator have extended throughout the profession. He will be long celebrated as a very special member of the Crane family.” Born in Port Chester, N.Y., Del Borgo earned his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Potsdam in 1960, before going on to receive a Master of Education degree from Temple University and a Master of Music degree from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, where he studied theory and composition with Vincent Persichetti and trumpet with Gilbert Johnson. On June 20, 1970, he married fellow Crane graduate
Nancy Withington Del Borgo ’68. vigorous harmonic and rhythmic style. In 1973, he was granted the doctoral Del Borgo described his work as “music equivalency by SUNY, and he was elected to you will want to play again and again … membership in the American Bandmasters and music that will enable your ensemble to Association in 1993. improve.” Del Borgo taught instrumental music Del Borgo was a member of both St. in the Philadelphia public schools and was John’s Episcopal Church, Cape Vincent, professor of N.Y., and St. Namusic at The thaniel’s Church, “His mastery of his subject matter, Crane School North Port, Florida. of Music, where He enjoyed gourmet he held teaching combined with boundless cooking, visiting and administra- enthusiasm, energy, and his unique art museums and tive positions traveling to Europe. sense of humor, were infectious.” from 1966 to In addition, he was a 1995. He was volunteer ambulance - Gary Galo ’73 the first chair of driver for the Cape the Department Vincent Ambulance Audio Engineer Emeritus of Music Theory, Squad. History and Just weeks before Composition. While at Crane, he directed his unexpected passing, Del Borgo was the Crane Wind Ensemble. sharing wisdom with young musicians. His energetic and firm, but humorous, He visited West Rocks Middle School in style was well loved by his students and felConnecticut, to instruct the West Rocks low musicians. Orchestra and hear the students play his “Of all the outstanding classroom “Hungarian Air and Dance.” He scurried up teachers and conductors I experienced and down from the stage, asking the students as an undergraduate, Elliot was the most to play the accents “with bite.” influential. His mastery of his subject mat“My theory has always been this: It ter, combined with boundless enthusiasm, doesn’t matter how old the kids are with energy and his unique sense of humor, were musical instruments. If you write effectively infectious,” said Audio Engineer Emeritus and clearly, and there’s musical value there, Gary Galo ’73. “During my long tenure on the kid can make substantial music, what the Crane faculty, he was a wonderful, supI call the ‘wow factor,’” Del Borgo told the portive colleague and friend.” Hour newspaper. An award-winning member of the Besides his wife, Nancy, he is survived American Society of Composers, Authors by his two daughters, Anne K. Del Borgo and Publishers, he was a frequent consultant, and her husband, Robert Norwood of Orr’s clinician, lecturer and adjudicator in the Island, Maine, and Laura D. Houk and her United States and abroad. Del Borgo was an husband, Justin, of Lexington, Massachuinternationally known conductor of bands setts, as well as two grandchildren, Jonathan and orchestras. E. and Rowan A. Houk. In addition to his music for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, he published more than 600 compositions for a variety of media, including two volumes entitled “Foundations for Strings.” His music reflects the aesthetics of 20th-century musical ideals through its eclectic nature and