William Ennis Thomson

Who is William Ennis Thomson?

William Ennis Thomson is an American music educator at the collegiate level, music theorist, composer, former Music School Dean and Professor at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California – 1980–1992. His overarching interest in research centers around the cognitive and perceptual foundation of music, insight for which is found in his 2006 article, Pitch Frames as Melodic Archetypes, Empirical Musicology Review, 1.2, 1-18.

Thomson has served the faculties of SUNY Buffalo; University of Arizona; Case Western Reserve University; Indiana University School of Music; University of Hawaii Scholar in Residence; Sul Ross State University, and Ford Foundation composer in residence.

He chaired the ETS Advanced Placement in Music Test Committee; served as Music Panel Member and Examiner for the National Endowment for the Arts; Fellow and Policy Committee member of the Ford Foundation; served as a key participant in the Contemporary Music Project; Board member of the Buffalo Philharmonic; taught and composed works for wind band, orchestra, chorus; and various chamber music media. Thomson also served in the Armed Forces: U.S. Navy.