Between his college degrees (from September 1952 to June 1954), he was stationed with the United States Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he was the musical director of the Soldiers' Section of Special Services.
I have the satisfaction of a corporate career that I enjoy and the pleasure of composing music and hearing it performed.
His musical style has been compared to Shostakovich's for its "lofty, inspiring melodies and startling romantic passages".
[3] During his lifetime, his works were performed at Baylor University, Eastern Illinois University[4] the Moores School of Music, by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra[2] for a Composers Conference moderated by Darius Milhaud, and many churches and smaller venues in Texas.
As a performing musician, Avinger conducted and sang in numerous choirs, as was the assistant conductor of the Houston Symphony Chorale.