Gordon Getty

Gordon Getty
Gordon Getty
Born	December 20, 1933 (age 92); San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, classical music composer
Years active	1970s–present
Known for	Fourth offspring of J. Paul Getty; classical compositions and operas; managing Getty family trust

Gordon Peter Getty (born December 20, 1933) is an American entrepreneur and classical music composer, known as the fourth offspring of oil magnate J. Paul Getty. His mother, Ann Rork, was the fourth spouse of his father. Following his father's passing in 1976, Gordon assumed control over Getty's $2 billion trust. By September 2020, his estimated net worth stood at $2.1 billion, placing him at number 391 on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest individuals in the United States.

Early life

Getty grew up in San Francisco, California, where he attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory before enrolling at the University of San Francisco. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and pursued vocal training under the guidance of Verna Osborne.

Career

Although he initially entered the petroleum industry to satisfy his father's wishes, Getty later divested the family's stake in Getty Oil by selling it to Texaco in 1986 for $10 billion. In 1983, Forbes identified him as the wealthiest individual in America with a net worth exceeding $2 billion. His fortune remained approximately $2.1 billion as of 2020.

In 2002, Getty established ReFlow, a firm specializing in the temporary acquisition of shares within mutual funds to minimize tax liabilities and reduce commission expenses for those funds.

Classical music

As a composer in the classical genre, Getty has created works such as the opera Plump Jack, Joan and the Bells, various piano compositions, and choral arrangements. His one-act opera Usher House was staged by the San Francisco Opera in 2015. With ambitions to become an opera singer himself, he studied during the 1970s with mezzo-soprano Louise Caselotti, who had previously instructed Maria Callas. Together with his wife, he has been a patron of the arts, financially supporting performances by both the San Francisco Opera and the Russian National Orchestra.

His opera The Canterville Ghost debuted on May 9, 2015, at Leipzig Opera.

Personal life

On December 25, 1964, Getty wed Ann Gilbert (1941–2020) in Las Vegas. The couple resided in a yellow Italianate-style mansion located in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, boasting views of both the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. Over time, they expanded their home by purchasing neighboring properties to provide space for Getty’s piano practice. Their residence served as a venue for charitable events, gatherings with opera performers, and political fundraisers supporting figures such as Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom. Notably, Newsom’s father, William Newsom—a longtime associate of Getty—managed the family trust for many years.

Gordon and Ann Getty were parents to four sons: Gordon Peter Jr (born 1965); Andrew Rork (1967–2015); John Gilbert (1968–2020); and William Paul (born 1970).

Management of Getty’s wealth is handled by Vallejo Investments, a family office specializing in tailored financial services.

Additionally, he maintains a second family based in Los Angeles with three daughters from his former longtime partner Cynthia Beck.

His philanthropic efforts include contributions to the University of San Francisco that supported construction of the Koret Health & Recreation Center, the John Lo Schiavo Center for Science & Innovation, and the J. Paul Getty Honors College Fund.

In popular culture

The documentary Gordon Getty: There Will be Music, directed by Peter Rosen, highlights Getty’s journey as a composer. It premiered on February 5, 2016, in New York City and has since been broadcast on PBS across the United States and on Europe's ARTE channel, as well as showcased at multiple film festivals.

Honors and awards

1986 – Recognized as an Outstanding American Composer by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2003 – Recipient of the Gold Baton from the League of American Orchestras
2015 – Named Alumnus of the Year by the University of San Francisco
2023 – Honored at a special dinner hosted by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music

List of 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 compositions

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 compositions

Ancestor Suite
Four Traditional Pieces
Homework Suite
Overture to Plump Jack
Raise the Colors

Voice with 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 instrumental pieces

Cellos:

 * Spring Song  
 * Ninna Nanna  
 * Winter Song

Piano compositions

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 traditional works

All Through the Night – arranged for chorus and eight cellos
Danny Boy – versions for voice and piano or voice and orchestra
Deep River – arranged for voice with piano or voice, chorus, and orchestra
Silent Night – arranged for chorus and orchestra
Shenandoah – arranged for chorus and orchestra

Discography

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)