June Kirlin (1910-2013)

A resident of Eugene, Oregon, June Kirlin was born in Columbus, Wisconsin, in 1910. She studied music at Drake University (Iowa). Later she studied piano and organ with Robert McDonald and Louis Webb. Studies in Composition were done with Home Keller at the University of Oregon.

Ms. Kirlin composed for the piano, organ, chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, and voice. In addition to composing, she also served as conductor of the Emmet County (Iowa) Little Symphony Orchestra, was music director at WMT (radio) in Cedar Rapids, and served as organist and choir director in numerous churches.

Published by several music companies, her music has been described as “having a tonal and accessible harmonic idiom while being at the same time clearly 20th century in flavor and neoclassical in style and structure.” (Karen Kammerer, music critic – Eugene Register Guard, March 1994). June Kirlin’s family, many of whom are also musicians, included her husband, Warner, two children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as one great-great-grandchild.