PITTSTON: Noted composer passes
BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 10/02/2008

PITTSTON -- The loss of his friend and fellow composer caused Josh Newton great sadness.

Newton was a student of Joseph Packales, 60, of Pittston, who died Tuesday.

Packales, a retired University of Southern Maine music professor, was a composer whose work was performed internationally. He gave private courses on music composition and theory analysis, as well as directed and accompanied church choirs for 30 years.

Last year, his original symphony, "Tour/Retour," was performed by the 85-member Borusan Philharmonic Orchestra in Istanbul, Turkey. The piece was written in 1995 and is a tango.

"He was a man renowned throughout the country as a composer and traveled the world having his music played," Newton said. "He got to experience a lot and got to do the things a lot of us composers wished that we could do."

Packales had been recently hired as the new accompanist for the Kennebec Performing Arts Company.

Mary Northup, president of the company, said members were deeply sadden by the passing of Packales. During the brief time he was a part of the organization, she said, he was a "ray of sunshine."

He was hired along with Josh Wheeler, of Winthrop, who came on board as the company's choral director.

"Joe was an accomplished musician and composer who we were very fortunate to work with," Northup said. "On the evening that Josh and Joe first auditioned for KPAC, it was as if they'd been playing together for years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed by all."

Packales has been composing music since he was 12 years old. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. in 1969 and taught music at Skidmore College and Cleveland State University before moving to El Paso, Texas, in 1984, to teach at the University of Texas. He and his wife, Barbara, moved to Maine in 1999.

He was also an organist for Highland Avenue Methodist Church in Gardiner.

Barbara Packales, a Gardiner school system elementary music teacher, said her husband was a gifted teacher, and one of the most creative people she has ever known. She said he was also religious and very spiritual. Unfortunately, her husband had been sick for a number of years.

He had diabetes and heart disease, and actually had three heart attacks and a stroke before his death, she said.

"There's so many things to say about him," she said. "I think he's probably enjoying himself, cavorting with Mozart and Beethoven and Brahms. He's probably up there having a good time with them. He certainly was of the same caliber as these great composers."

Mechele Cooper -- 623-3811, Ext. 408

mcooper@centralmaine.com

Bookmark and share this story: digg del.icio.us Reddit

Reader comments

Click here to view or add reader comments