Timothy Brock was born in 1963 and since the age of 17 has been an active conductor and composer. In 1989, he became the prinicipal conductor of the Olympia Chamber Orchestra. Brock approached the writing of this chamber opera with a frenetic solitude. He bought a trailer and moved it onto Bryan Willis' parents pony farm in McCleary, WA. Brock wrote the score in about 4 months. Bryan Willis wrote the libretto for the opera. Bryan was born in 1959 to Bill and Jean Willis. He grew up on his parents pony farm in McCleary, WA, near Olympia, WA. He spent two years in London working with Riverside Studios before moving to New York where he completed his M.F.A. in playwriting from NYU's Dramatic Writing Program. He has worked in the literary departments of many theaters, including Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center (NYU's Playwright-in-Residence), and Seattle Public Theater, where he served as Playwright-in-Residence from 1990-98. He wrote the libretto for Billy in 1994. This a fictional chamber opera based on the life of the jazz musician Billy Tipton. The Script Review consisted of at least 13 individuals including Bill & Jean Willis, Bryan's parents, and Steve Willis, Bryan's older brother.
From the description of Collection of Timothy Brock and Bryan Willis, 1994. (Washington State Library, Office of Secretary of State). WorldCat record id: 166435745
