Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

November 18, 1925 in New York City, NY

Death

:

November 17, 2017 in New York City, NY

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

William Mayer was an American composer who was born on November 18, 1925, in New York City. He was the son of a lawyer and a pianist, and his parents encouraged his interest in music from a young age. Mayer began studying piano at the age of six and later took up the clarinet and saxophone. He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City and went on to study composition at the Juilliard School with Bernard Wagenaar and Peter Mennin. Mayer's early works were influenced by the neoclassical style of Stravinsky and Hindemith, but he later developed his own unique voice. He was particularly interested in incorporating elements of jazz and popular music into his compositions. In 1950, he won the New York Philharmonic's Young Composers' Award for his Symphony No. 1, which was premiered by the orchestra under the direction of Leonard Bernstein. Mayer went on to have a successful career as a composer, writing music for a wide range of ensembles and genres. He composed operas, ballets, orchestral works, chamber music, and vocal music. Some of his most notable works include his opera A Death in the Family, which was based on the novel by James Agee and premiered at the Houston Grand Opera in 1983, and his ballet The Garden of Eden, which was commissioned by the New York City Ballet and premiered in 1970. Mayer was also a prolific composer of music for the stage. He wrote the music for several Broadway shows, including The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, which premiered in 1968 and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical. He also composed music for off-Broadway productions, including the musicals The Grass Harp and The Grand Tour. In addition to his work as a composer, Mayer was also a respected educator. He taught at several universities, including Columbia University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Manhattan School of Music. He was a founding member of the Composers Guild of New Jersey and served as its president from 1975 to 1977. Mayer's music is characterized by its lyrical melodies, rhythmic vitality, and eclectic influences. He was known for his ability to blend different styles and genres in a way that was both innovative and accessible. His music has been performed by many of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Mayer received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Academy Award in Music. He was also a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. William Mayer passed away on May 25, 2017, at the age of 91. He left behind a legacy of innovative and engaging music that continues to be performed and enjoyed by audiences around the world.

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