FRANK RETZEL has had an accomplished career as a composer, conductor, performer and educator. He began musical studies at an early age and holds several degrees from Wayne State University and the University of Chicago where he received his Ph. D. in 1978. Frank Retzel has been awarded numerous prizes, grants and commissions for his work. They include a prize from the League of Composers/International Society for Contemporary Music, fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Fulbright Commission and Mellon Foundation. He was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1988. Frank Retzel’s compositions have been commissioned by numerous ensembles and solo artists and performed to acclaim all over the world. In 1995, he was commissioned to compose the main opening and closing for the Mass