Ross Lee Finney; Composer, Writer, Professor

Ross Lee Finney, 90, contemporary composer known for his lyrical tonal works. In a career spanning nearly seven decades, Finney experimented with a wide range of styles that included American folk, New England hymn, chromaticism and tonal music. Starting in the 1950s, Finney began composing works based on a 12-tone scale, achieving an almost neo-Romantic lyricism. He also wrote pieces that teased listeners’ memories by weaving in folk and hymn themes. Born in Wells, Minn., and reared in Minneapolis and North Dakota, Finney studied piano, cello and guitar and as a teenager performed in a local orchestra, trio and jazz band. After serving in World War II, he taught at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College, both in Massachusetts, and at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Conn. From 1949 until his retirement in 1974, Finney was professor and composer-in-residence at the University of Michigan. In addition to his musical compositions, he published two books, a collection of essays and his autobiography. On Tuesday in Carmel.