Dates

• Existence: March 20, 1901 - 1987

Biography

William Thayer Ames was born on the 20th of March, 1901 in Cambridge Massachusetts. Ames earned a Bachelor’s degree in music from Harvard University in 1924. After graduating, he set out for Paris to work with Nadia Boulanger. He returned to the states to New York where he taught at Eastman for ten years before pursuing a Master’s degree from Harvard. Ames began to write music and play piano for dance at Cornell University and then professionally in New York. In 1965, Ames left New York for California and continued composing and performing until his death in 1987. Ames composed for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo piano, opera, theatre, dance, and film.

Sources: • Baker, Drew. “William Ames Collection” Ruth. T. Watanabe Special Collections, Rochester, NY. 1999.