Donald Alexander Cochrane

Donald Alexander Cochrane was born in Beaconsfield (Ontario, Canada) in 1928. After school he moved to New York City to study piano under Alexander Klahr and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia University. Donald Alexander Cochrane then moved to Munich (Germany) where he studied composition with Hans Sachsse. After his studies he returned to Canada and worked as a music teacher in the Toronto area until his retirement.

The work catalogue of Donald Alexander Cochrane contains an emphasis on orchestra music with at least 10 symphonies, 12 piano concertos, dozens of orchestral pieces as well as some chamber music like 2 string quartets and 2 piano quintets.

Variations on an old sea-shanty

In my possession is the autograph piano reduction and full score of the work "Variations on an old sea-shanty" by Donald Alexander Cochrane. The work was composed in 1960 during the time of his studies in Munich and calls for a large symphony orchestra. The composition won the first prize in the KIWANIS festival of Toronto in 1988 and received its world premiere during this occasion. A score of the work can be ordered through the Canadian Music Information Center (CMC). Curiously the work there is only called "Variations on a sea-shanty". And for unknown reason the composer wrote his name on both manuscripts as "Donald Alexander O'Cochrane".