Kemner, Gerald (September 28, 1932-January 26, 2007)
Dates
- Existence: September 28, 1932 - January 26, 2007
Biography
Gerald Eugene Kemner was born September 28, 1932, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Louis Webster and Mabel (Huhn) Kemner. Music was a lifelong passion for Kemner, whose mother introduced him to the piano when he was just 4 years old.
Kemner attended Paseo High School, University of Kansas City (now UMKC), and Yale University. He received his doctorate from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He taught music at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In the 1960s Kemner returned to Kansas City to teach at UMKC's Conservatory of Music, a position he held until retirement.
Over the years, Kemner composed several works of music, including scores for everything from the Kansas City Repertory Theatre productions to a made-for-TV movie later entered in the Cannes Film Festival.
Kemner suffered from Parkinson's disease and passed away January 26, 2007.
