Role

:

Composer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

February 12, 1923 in New York City, NY

Death

:

April 24, 1998 in Los Angeles, CA

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

Mel Powell was an American composer and pianist who was born on February 12, 1923, in New York City. He was raised in a musical family, with his father being a violinist and his mother a pianist. Powell began playing the piano at a young age and showed great talent, which led him to study at the Juilliard School of Music. Powell's early career was marked by his association with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, where he played the piano and arranged music. He was a member of the orchestra from 1941 to 1942 and again from 1943 to 1944. During this time, Powell also began to compose his own music, which was heavily influenced by jazz and swing music. In 1944, Powell was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Europe during World War II. While in the army, he continued to play and compose music, and he even formed his own band, the Mel Powell Septet. After the war, Powell returned to the United States and continued to pursue his career in music. Powell's compositions during the 1940s and 1950s were characterized by their use of jazz and swing rhythms and harmonies. He was also known for his use of unconventional instrumentation, such as the harpsichord and the vibraphone. Some of his most famous works from this period include "Mission to Moscow," "Borderline," and "Out of Nowhere." In the 1960s, Powell began to move away from jazz and swing music and started to explore more avant-garde styles. He became interested in serialism and other modernist techniques, which he incorporated into his compositions. Some of his most notable works from this period include "Settings," "Mobiles," and "Doubles." Powell's later career was marked by his work as a composer and educator. He taught at several universities, including Yale University and the California Institute of the Arts. He also continued to compose music, and his later works were characterized by their use of electronic music and computer-generated sounds. Throughout his career, Powell received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to music. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1990 for his composition "Duplicates: A Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra." He was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1991. Mel Powell died on April 24, 1998, in Sherman Oaks, California. He was remembered as a pioneering composer who pushed the boundaries of classical music and incorporated elements of jazz and swing into his work. His legacy continues to inspire musicians and composers today.

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