Trek Composer Donates Music Collection

2 min read

12 years ago T'Bonz

Jay Chattaway, an Emmy-winning composer who wrote musical scores for four of the five televised Star Trek series, has donated his entire Star Trek music collection to West Virginia University’s School of Music.

Chattaway is a graduate of WVU’s College of Creative Arts.

“I am deeply grateful for his extraordinary gift of his musical scores and materials, and I join the College of Creative Arts in our heartfelt thanks,” said WVU President Jim Clements. “This gift will help our current and future music students learn the art of arranging and composing from one of the greatest in the field. We are just blown away by this unique and valuable gift.”

Chattaway will be a visiting artist at WVU beginning next fall, also working with music students online. “Jay Chattaway is one of our most cherished graduates, and his work as one of America’s premier composers for film and television makes him a tremendous role model for our students,” said Clements.

“There’s going to be more [donated],” said Chattaway. “I have also composed the music for thirty motion pictures. I’m giving this gift to the School of Music because WVU is my alma mater, and the place where I learned my craft and where I was fortunate enough to study with great teachers.”

One of the songs includes the penny whistle solo from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Inner Light episode. The Inner Light song is “one of the most requested musical selections in the entire Star Trek catalogue.”

Thanks to Dee Jay Bea Kay for the tip! Chattaway photo courtesy of Memory Alpha.