W. Fred Mills, a renowned trumpet virtuoso and professor in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, died following injuries in a traffic accident in Walton County on Sept. 7. He was 74 years old.
Mills was returning to Athens following an overseas trip to perform, according to Dale Monson, director of the Hodgson School.
“I have known Fred Mills for 25 years and believe he exemplified the very best as a performer, a professor and a friend,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “The university was blessed by his presence. He was a world-renowned artist who became an engaged citizen of our community.”
A memorial service celebrating Mills’ life will be held Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. in Hugh Hodgson Hall of the Performing Arts Center.
Mills was born in Guelph, Canada, and began his brass studies on a cornet purchased from a traveling salesman.
He studied at the Juilliard School in New York City and went on to play with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony of the Air, the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the Musica Aeterna Orchestra of the Metropolitan Museum, the Marlboro Festival Orchestra, the Casals Festival Orchestra and the New York City Opera Orchestra.
A founding member of the Canadian Brass, Mills joined the UGA School of Music brass faculty in September 1996.
In 2001, he was named first recipient of the William F. and Pamela P. Prokasy Professorship in the Arts.
“We in the Franklin College are deeply saddened by the passing of Fred Mills, who was a supreme artist and a superb ambassador for UGA and the college,” said Garnett S. Stokes, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, of which the Hugh Hodgson School of Music is a part. “In the midst of our sorrow, we remember the vibrant and enduring legacy that this man brought to the world through the great gift of his music.”
Mills performed for 25 years in the great concert halls of Europe, North America and Asia and made more than 40 recordings as a member of the Canadian Brass on the ACA, RCA, Sony, BMG and Philips record labels.
He was instrumental in changing the standard repertoire for brass chamber music with more than 50 arrangements and transcriptions for the quintet, including the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J.S. Bach.
During his 25 years with the quintet, the Canadian Brass was recognized as the world’s premier brass ensemble.
“Fred Mills was an inspiration to all who knew him,” said Monson. “One of the finest performers and teachers of his generation, he was at the same time a warm and generous colleague and a dear friend. We will miss him greatly.”