Thomas Avinger

Thomas Avinger (Weslaco, Texas, September 28, 1928 – Houston, Texas, November 18, 2000) was an American composer, conductor and systems analyst for the oil industry.

Born in Weslaco, Texas, he taught himself to play the piano at the age of 19. He attended Edinburg Junior College (which later became the University of Texas–Pan American and more recently became the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). He then graduated from Baylor University in 1952 with a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Music degree in 1957. Between his college degrees (from September 1952 to June 1954), he was stationed with the United States Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he was the Musical Director of the Soldiers' Section of Special Services.

After completing his graduate work, he began working for the Humble Oil and Refining Company (now part of Exxon-Mobil, USA). He spent the next forty years there as a systems analyst. He was married to JoAnn Avinger for 45 years, and they had two sons, Erich and Peter.

Avinger was comfortable with his career in technology while also composing music when possible, saying "I think I have the best of both worlds. I have the satisfaction of a corporate career that I enjoy and the pleasure of composing music and hearing it performed. One doesn't have to choose between the arts and business today."

Like the better-known Charles Ives, he was not a full-time musician or composer, yet he completed at least 50 musical works, including a one-act opera, a ballet suite, orchestral works with chorus, and various smaller works for chorus, piano, chamber ensembles, and art songs. His musical style has been compared to Shostakovich's for its "lofty, inspiring melodies and startling romantic passages".

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