Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

March 15, 1926 in Macon, GA

Death

:

July 21, 2019

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Ben Johnston was an American composer who was born on March 15, 1926, in Macon, Georgia. He was the son of a Baptist minister and grew up in a musical family. His mother was a pianist, and his father played the violin. Johnston began playing the piano at a young age and showed an early interest in music. Johnston attended the University of Georgia, where he studied music theory and composition. He later went on to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Illinois. While at the University of Illinois, Johnston studied with the composer and music theorist Harry Partch, who had a significant influence on his music. Johnston's music is known for its use of microtonality, which is the use of intervals smaller than the traditional half-step used in Western music. He was one of the first composers to use microtonality in his music, and his work has had a significant impact on the development of microtonal music. One of Johnston's most significant works is his String Quartet No. 4, which was composed in 1979. The piece is written in just intonation, which is a tuning system that uses pure intervals based on the harmonic series. The String Quartet No. 4 is considered one of the most important works in the history of microtonal music. Another notable work by Johnston is his Suite for Microtonal Piano, which was composed in 1956. The piece is written for a piano that has been modified to play microtonal intervals. The Suite for Microtonal Piano is one of the earliest examples of microtonal music in Western classical music. Johnston's music has been performed by many notable musicians and ensembles, including the Kronos Quartet, the Arditti Quartet, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also received numerous awards and honors for his work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship. In addition to his work as a composer, Johnston was also a respected music theorist. He wrote several influential articles and books on music theory, including "Maximum Clarity" and "The Structure of Musical Sound." Johnston passed away on July 21, 2019, at the age of 93. His legacy as a composer and music theorist continues to influence the development of microtonal music and the broader field of contemporary classical music.

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