The Ron McFarland Collection (University Archives)

Ron McFarland's profound musical gift shaped a majority of his life. Born April 20, 1928, in San Bernardino, he lived among the orchards of Southern California until his prodigious talent brought him to Hollywood at the age of 16. Anointed a protégé of the formidable conductor Ethel Leginska, the young pianist played the Hollywood Bowl and toured nationally, surrounding himself with legendary artists such as Artur Schnabel, Benjamin Britten, Bruno Walter. Ron most notably embarked on a music composing career that would encompass symphonies, concertos, chamber works, songs for children's theatre and three well-reviewed operas (The Audition of Molly Bloom, The Donner Party and Song of Pegasus). Moving to Tiburon later in his career to open up a piano instruction studio, Ron also lectured musical composition at Dominican University of California (then Dominican College), University of California at Berkeley, San Francisco City College's concert lecture series, the University of Southern California Composers Forum, and Chico State University.

This collection consists primarily of sheet music composed by Ron McFarland.