Olly Woodrow Wilson, Jr. (September 7, 1937 – March 12, 2018) was an American composer of contemporary classical music, pianist, double bassist, and a musicologist.
He was one of the most preeminent composers of African American descent in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
He is known for developing a list of Heterogenous Sound Ideals that is widely used to dissect different aspects of music, with an emphasis on African culture.
[2] Wilson taught at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (1965-1970).
His notable students include Neil Rolnick, Robert Greenberg, Valerie Samson and Frank La Rocca.