Pioneer in electronic and electro-acoustic music dies

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

A composer, professor and pioneer in electronic and electro-acoustic music, who helped develop the Synclavier (SIN-clah-veer), an early digital synthesizer, has died. Jon Appleton died Jan. 30 in White River Junction, Vt., at the age of 83, according to his son. Appleton became part of the faculty at Dartmouth College in 1967 and developed one of the first programs and studios for electronic music in the country. The Synclavier was developed in 1975 by Appleton, Dartmouth Thayer School of Engineering research professor Sydney Alonso and student Cameron Jones. His son says while he was an accomplished composer he was also an accomplished professor, beloved by many students.