Elizabeth Thompson, Trinity Communications
On April 29, 2023, the Department of Music honored Professor Emeritus Bryan Gilliam with a symposium in honor of his retirement. Fifty of Gilliam's colleagues, former students, and current students attended the celebration, which included the presentation of a number of tributes from Gilliam's many former graduate students. The event was a collaborative effort between the Department of Music and two of Gilliam’s former students, professors Joy Calico (Vanderbilt University) and Neil Lerner (Davidson College).
Professor Gilliam served on the Duke Music faculty from 1986-2020. Beyond scholarly venues, he has given lectures at various music festivals, including Bayreuth, Salzburg, Ravinia, and Mostly Mozart, as well as opera and concert venues Lincoln Center Great Performances, New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, and San Francisco Opera. He served as Associate Editor for The Musical Quarterly and on the board of advisors of the Kurt Weill Edition.
An expert on the works of Richard Strauss, he has authored numerous books on the subject, including Rounding Wagner's Mountain: Richard Strauss and Modern German Opera (Cambridge University Press, 2014). Other areas of scholarship include Anton Bruckner, fin-de-siècle Vienna, music and film of the Weimar era, and Hollywood film music.
The symposium ended, fittingly, with a performance Richard Strauss's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 6 performed by Gilliam's colleagues, Caroline Stinson and R. Larry Todd.