David Snow Bates (1936-1974) was a composer, performer, educator, and co-founder of KB Electronic Music Instrumentation, a 1970’s era manufacturer of electronic music devices. In his short life, he composed over 40 major works including sonatas for violin, viola, cello, and trumpet; works for piano alone and piano with orchestra; compositions for chorus and band; several examples of mixed instrumentation chamber music, and an award-winning work in the electronic medium.

“(His) last works have the quality of all genuine and lasting music… participating in that music for all times, based in the deepest and most unique human experience. He and his music will continue to haunt me.”

John Eaton, FAAR 1961

“He will be remembered by his friends and colleagues as a man with a great enthusiasm for music, music of all styles and genres. His love of sound for sound’s sake and of the broad sweep of a piece, as opposed to an obsession with detail, was perhaps a reflection of his influences at the University of Michigan, where he studied with Ross Lee Finney, Leslie Bassett and Roberto Gerhard. His music is exciting in its own right.”

Charles Amirkhanian, from the KPFA radio series Ode to Gravity