Gordon Getty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gordon Getty
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![]() Getty in 1976
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Born |
Gordon Peter Getty
December 20, 1933 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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Alma mater | University of San Francisco San Francisco Conservatory of Music |
Occupation | Businessman, composer |
Spouse(s) | |
Children | 7, including Andrew and Kendalle |
Parent(s) | J. Paul Getty Ann Rork Light |
Family | Getty |
Gordon Peter Getty, born on December 20, 1933, is an American businessman and a talented composer of classical music. He is the fourth child of the famous oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. His mother, Ann Rork, was his father's fourth wife.
When his father passed away in 1976, Gordon took charge of the family's large trust, which was worth about $2 billion. In September 2020, his personal wealth was estimated at $2.1 billion. This made him one of the wealthiest people in the United States at that time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gordon Getty grew up in San Francisco, California. He attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory for his high school education. Later, he studied at the University of San Francisco. He also earned a special degree in music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Gordon even took singing lessons from a teacher named Verna Osborne.
Business Career
Gordon Getty first joined the oil business to make his father happy. However, he later decided to sell the family's company, Getty Oil. In 1986, he sold it to another company called Texaco for a huge amount of money, $10 billion.
In 1983, Forbes magazine, which tracks wealthy people, named him the richest person in America. At that time, his wealth was a little over $2 billion. By 2020, his net worth was still very high, around $2.1 billion.
In 2002, Gordon Getty started his own company called ReFlow. This company helps mutual funds by temporarily buying shares. This can help the funds save money on taxes and fees.
Classical Music Compositions
Besides his business work, Gordon Getty is also well-known as a classical music composer. He has written many different types of music. Some of his famous works include an opera called Plump Jack and a piece for voices and orchestra called Joan and the Bells. He has also composed music for the piano and many pieces for choirs to sing.
His one-act opera, Usher House, was performed by the San Francisco Opera in 2015. Gordon always wanted to be an opera singer. In the mid-1970s, he studied singing with Louise Caselotti. She was a famous voice teacher who had also taught the legendary opera singer Maria Callas.
Gordon and his wife have always been big supporters of the arts. They have especially helped fund productions for the San Francisco Opera and the Russian National Orchestra. His opera The Canterville Ghost had its first performance in Leipzig, Germany, on May 9, 2015.
Personal Life and Family
On Christmas Day in 1964, Gordon Getty married Ann Gilbert in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ann passed away in 2020. Gordon and Ann Getty lived in a beautiful yellow mansion in San Francisco. Their home had amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
Over the years, they bought the houses next door to expand their living space. This gave Gordon more room to work on his piano compositions. They often hosted special events at their home, including charity gatherings, performances by opera stars, and fundraisers for politicians like Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom. Gavin Newsom's father, William Newsom, was a close friend of Gordon's since high school. He managed the family's trust for many years.
Gordon and Ann Getty had four sons: Gordon Peter Getty Jr., William Paul Getty, Andrew Rork Getty, and John Gilbert Getty.
Gordon Getty's money and investments are managed by a company called Vallejo Investments. This company is like a "family office." It has a team of experts, including lawyers, accountants, and money managers, who help handle the family's finances. Gordon also has another family in Los Angeles with three daughters.
He has given many donations to the University of San Francisco. These donations helped build important buildings like the Koret Health & Recreation Center and the John Lo Schiavo, S.J. Center for Science and Innovation. He also helped create the J. Paul Getty Honors College Fund.
Honors and Awards
Gordon Getty has received several awards for his contributions:
- 1986 – Outstanding American Composer, from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
- 2003 – Gold Baton, from the League of American Orchestras
- 2015 – Alumnus of the Year, from the University of San Francisco
- 2023 – San Francisco Conservatory of Music Dinner in his Honor
List of Musical Works
Gordon Getty has composed a wide range of musical pieces. Here are some of his notable works:
Opera
- The Canterville Ghost
- Usher House
- Plump Jack
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Cantata
- Joan and the Bells
Chamber Works
- Four Traditional Pieces
- Homework Suite
- Kathie Trio
Choral Works
- Annabel Lee
- Ballet Russe
- Beauty Come Dancing
- Cynara
- The Destruction of Sennacherib
- For a Dead Lady
- Four Christmas Carols
- Gretchen to Faust
- Impenitent Ultima
- La Belle Dame sans Merci
- The Little Match Girl
- Mephistopheles to Faust
- The Old Man in the Night
- The Old Man in the Morning
- The Old Man in the Snow
- A Prayer for My Daughter
- There Was A Naughty Boy
- Those Who Love the Most
- Three Welsh Songs
- St. Christopher
- Victorian Scenes
- Young America
Orchestral Works
- Ancestor Suite
- Four Traditional Pieces
- Homework Suite
- Overture to Plump Jack
- Raise the Colors
Voice and Orchestra
- Cyanara
- The Destruction of Sennacherib
- Four Dickinson Songs
- Gretchen to Faust
- Hostess’s Aria
- Kathie’s Aria
- Mephistopheles to Faust
- No, My Good Lord
- Poor Peter
- A Prayer for my Daughter
- Where is My Lady?
Solo Instrument
- Spring Song (for cello)
- Ninna Nanna (for cello)
- Winter Song (for cello)
Piano Works
- Ancestor Suite
- Andantino
- First Adventure
- Four Traditional Pieces
- Homework Suite
- Scherzo Pensieroso
- Tiefer und Tiefer
Songs
- Four Dickinson Songs
- Poor Peter
- A Prayer for My Daughter
- The White Election
Arrangements of Existing Works
- All Through the Night – chorus and eight cellos
- Danny Boy – voice and piano/voice and orchestra
- Deep River – voice and piano/voice, chorus and orchestra
- Silent Night – chorus and orchestra
- Shenandoah – chorus and orchestra
Discography
Gordon Getty's music has been released on several albums:
- Goodbye, Mr. Chips (2025, Pentatone PTC 5187050)
- An American Song Album (2019, Pentatone PTC 5186770)
- Beauty Come Dancing (2018, Pentatone PTC 5186621)
- A Certain Slant of Light (2018, Pentatone PTC 5186634)
- The Canterville Ghost (2017, Pentatone PTC 5186541)
- Out of the Shadows: Rediscovered American Art Song (2016, Pentatone PTC 5186572)
- The Little Match Girl (2015, Pentatone PTC 5186480)
- December Celebration: New Carols by Seven American Composers (2015, Pentatone PTC 5186537)
- Usher House (2013, Pentatone PTC 5186451)
- Piano Pieces (2013, Pentatone PTC 5186505)
- The Hours Begin to Sing (2013, Pentatone PTC 5186459)
- Orchestral Works (2010, Pentatone PTC 5186356)
- Plump Jack (2012, Pentatone PTC 5186445)
- The White Election (2009, Pentatone PTC 5186054)
- And if the song be worth a smile (2008, Pentatone PTC 5186099)
- Young America Choral Works (2005, Pentatone PTC 5186040)
- Joan and the bells & Serge Prokofiev – Romeo and Juliet (2003, Pentatone PTC 5186017)