Vladimir Ussachevsky

Ussachevsky was a pioneer of electronic music, an influential enthusiast and educator. Luening supervised his PhD then became his great collaborator; they founded the Columbia/Princeton electronic music studios, Babbitt (a great friend) and Sessions joining them. Ussachevsky and Luening spent an intensive fortnight at Cowell’s (another close friend), and met Schaeffer, Henry, Eimert and Stockhausen (who forbade them to look over his shoulder) on a trip to Europe. Ussachevsky collaborated with Brakhage and Zukofsky, helped out Varèse, provided sound-effects for Welles, and was Moog’s third customer. Harrison ecstatically wrote to him about frogs. Oliveros called him a wonderful man.