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Memorial service set for composer Daniel Brewbaker, Elgin cultural icon

Elgin native Daniel M. Brewbaker, a composer praised for his deeply spiritual, beautifully melodic compositions, will be remembered during a memorial service Monday in his hometown.

Brewbaker, 65, died May 14 at the JourneyCare hospice in Barrington, following a two-year battle with brain cancer, according to his obituary.

A devoted son, the deeply spiritual Brewbaker was remembered by friends as a remarkably kind, personable and attentive man and a respected musician.

"Everybody who met him loved him," said friend Gloria Hunter of Aurora. "He radiated kindness."

"Musicians will remember him as a distinguished composer," she added. "Friends will remember him as someone who really enjoyed life."

Among Brewbaker's nearly 60 compositions were works for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, the DuPage Chorale and the Glen Ellyn Children's Chorus. His efforts earned him induction in the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame in 2006. Last year, Elgin High School named him to its alumni hall of fame.

Celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma performed the final movement from Brewbaker's 1995 concerto "La Serenissima" with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra during its 1999 gala.

Having previously called Italy, Germany and France home, Brewbaker resided most recently in New York. But he never forgot his Northwest suburban roots, evidenced by 2003's "Psalm 51," which he composed for the centenary of Elgin's Holy Trinity Lutheran Church where his family had been lifelong members.

Born in Elgin in 1951, Brewbaker studied piano and trumpet as a child. Elected senior class president at Elgin High School, he attended the University of Illinois where his first composition, "Psalm 39," premiered in 1970. After receiving masters and doctorate degrees from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, he taught at several colleges, including Juilliard.

Brewbaker was the first American composer to receive a commission from Russia's Kirov Orchestra and Chorus. "The Poet," commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, premiered in St. Petersburg under conductor Valery Gergiev in 1999. Brewbaker was also commissioned to write a concerto for Russian violinist Vadim Repin. who debuted the piece during a 2005 concert with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

"Everything about Daniel was music," said Hunter. "Music was his life."

Visitation will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, June 25, at Symonds-Madison Funeral Home, 305 Park St., Elgin. The memorial service begins at 11 a.m. Monday, June 26, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 Division St., Elgin. For more information, call (847) 741-1128 or see symondsmadisonfuneralhome.com.

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