Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

February 16, 1938 in United States

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

John Corigliano is an American composer who was born on February 16, 1938, in New York City. He is the son of John Corigliano Sr., who was the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic for 23 years. Corigliano grew up in a musical family and began playing the piano at a young age. He attended Columbia University, where he studied composition with Otto Luening and Jack Beeson. Corigliano's early works were influenced by the serialism of composers such as Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern. However, he soon began to develop his own style, which incorporated elements of tonality and traditional forms. His breakthrough work was the Sonata for Violin and Piano, which was premiered in 1964 by the violinist Ruggiero Ricci and the pianist Robert Levin. The piece was well-received and established Corigliano as a promising young composer. In the 1970s, Corigliano began to experiment with electronic music, creating works such as A Black November Turkey and Voyage. He also composed several works for the theater, including the operas The Ghosts of Versailles and The Lord of Cries. The Ghosts of Versailles, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1991, was particularly successful and won Corigliano a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording in 1993. Corigliano's most famous work is his Symphony No. 1, which he composed in 1988 in memory of his friends who had died of AIDS. The piece is a powerful and emotional tribute to those who lost their lives to the disease. It includes a haunting setting of the "Lament" from the ancient Greek play Agamemnon, as well as a lively and joyful finale that celebrates the lives of those who survived. Corigliano's other notable works include the Clarinet Concerto, which was premiered by the clarinetist Stanley Drucker and the New York Philharmonic in 1977, and the String Quartet, which was premiered by the Juilliard String Quartet in 1995. He has also composed several film scores, including the music for Altered States, The Red Violin, and The Cider House Rules. Throughout his career, Corigliano has received numerous awards and honors for his work. He has won four Grammy Awards, including the aforementioned award for The Ghosts of Versailles. He has also been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, the Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition, and the National Medal of Arts. In addition, he has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Corigliano continues to compose new works and is widely regarded as one of the most important American composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. His music is known for its emotional depth, technical virtuosity, and innovative use of traditional forms and tonalities. He has inspired countless musicians and composers and has left an indelible mark on the world of classical music.

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