William Kraft was appointed to the Dorothy and Sherrill C. Corwin Chair in Music Composition at the University of California at Santa Barbara in September 1991, in recognition of his long and distinguished career as a composer, conductor, and teacher. He served as percussionist and timpanist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from 1955-1981, and he was the orchestra's first composer-in-residence. Jane Manning has long been established internationally as a leading exponent of contemporary music, with more than 300 premieres to her credit. Her extensive discography includes works by Messiaen, Schoenberg, and Ligeti, with conductors such as Boulez and Rattle.