Bernd Alois Zimmermann
Mr. O’Brien was born in Paterson, N.J., and studied composition with Robert Beadell, Bernd Alois Zimmermann, John Eaton, Iannis Xenakis and Donald Erb. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Nebraska, undertook post-graduate studies at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Köln, Germany as a Fulbright Scholar, and received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music / Case Western Reserve University.