Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

November 18, 1927 in Los Angeles, CA

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Lawrence Moss was a renowned classical music composer who was born on May 12, 1927, in New York City. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father was a pianist, and his mother was a singer. Moss showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of five. Moss attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, where he studied composition with Vincent Persichetti and William Schuman. He also studied piano with Rosina Lhévinne and Adele Marcus. After graduating from Juilliard, Moss continued his studies in Europe, where he studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence. Moss's early works were influenced by the neoclassical style of Stravinsky and Hindemith. His first major work, the Symphony No. 1, was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1954. The symphony was well-received and established Moss as a promising young composer. In the 1960s, Moss's style began to evolve, and he became interested in serialism and other avant-garde techniques. His works from this period, such as the String Quartet No. 2 and the Piano Sonata No. 2, are characterized by their complex rhythms and dissonant harmonies. Moss's most famous work is the opera The Golden Ass, which was premiered by the New York City Opera in 1976. The opera is based on the novel by Apuleius and tells the story of a man who is transformed into a donkey and must go on a series of adventures to regain his human form. The opera was praised for its inventive score and imaginative staging. Moss continued to compose throughout his life, and his later works are characterized by a return to tonality and a more lyrical style. His final work, the Symphony No. 5, was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2002, just a few months before his death. Moss was also a respected teacher of composition, and he taught at several universities, including the University of California, Berkeley, and the Juilliard School. His students included John Adams, David Lang, and Michael Torke. In addition to his work as a composer and teacher, Moss was also an advocate for new music. He served as the president of the American Composers Alliance and was a member of the board of directors of the American Music Center. Moss received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Music Award. He was also elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1983. Lawrence Moss's contributions to the world of classical music are significant and enduring. His innovative compositions and dedication to new music have inspired generations of composers and musicians. Moss's legacy continues to be celebrated through performances of his works and the influence he had on his students and colleagues.

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