William Albright received his education at Juilliard Preparatory Department, University of Michigan, and the Paris Conservatoire. He received numerous commissions and was the recipient of many awards and honors, including an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He joined the faculty at University of Michigan in 1970 and was active in developing electronic modification of acoustic instruments. His later compositions are atonal and rhythmically complex, and employ American pop music. He also wrote modern ragtime pieces and was instrumental in renewing interest in the works of Scott Joplin and other ragtime composers. Albright passed away unexpectedly at his home in Ann Arbor, MI, on September 17, 1998. ~ Lynn Vought