Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Birth

:

November 6, 1936 in Alexandria, LA

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Concerto

 

David Ward-Steinman was an American composer, pianist, and educator who was born on June 28, 1936, in Los Angeles, California. He was the son of a violinist and a pianist, and his parents encouraged him to pursue music from a young age. Ward-Steinman began playing the piano at the age of four and started composing music when he was just six years old. Ward-Steinman attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1957. He then went on to study composition with Ernst Krenek at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a Master of Arts degree in 1959. Ward-Steinman continued his studies at the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition in 1963. Throughout his career, Ward-Steinman composed music in a variety of genres, including orchestral works, chamber music, vocal music, and solo piano music. His music was often characterized by its use of complex rhythms, intricate harmonies, and unconventional forms. Ward-Steinman was also known for his interest in non-Western music, and he incorporated elements of Indian, African, and Indonesian music into his compositions. One of Ward-Steinman's most notable works is his Symphony No. 1, which was composed in 1962 and premiered by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the direction of Zubin Mehta in 1963. The symphony is a large-scale work that features a wide range of musical styles and influences, including jazz, blues, and Indian classical music. The piece is divided into four movements, each of which explores a different musical idea or theme. Another significant work by Ward-Steinman is his Piano Concerto, which was composed in 1965 and premiered by the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Ward-Steinman as the soloist. The concerto is a virtuosic work that showcases the pianist's technical abilities and features a wide range of musical styles and influences, including jazz, blues, and Latin American music. In addition to his orchestral works, Ward-Steinman also composed a number of chamber music pieces, including his String Quartet No. 1, which was composed in 1960 and premiered by the Kronos Quartet in 1980. The quartet is a complex and challenging work that features intricate rhythms and harmonies, as well as a wide range of musical textures and colors. Ward-Steinman was also a prolific composer of vocal music, including his song cycle, "Songs of Innocence and Experience," which was composed in 1971 and premiered by soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson and pianist Gilbert Kalish. The cycle is based on the poems of William Blake and features a wide range of musical styles and influences, including jazz, blues, and Indian classical music. Throughout his career, Ward-Steinman was also an active educator and taught at a number of institutions, including the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California. He was known for his innovative teaching methods and his commitment to fostering creativity and individuality in his students. Ward-Steinman received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1966 and a National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1974. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

More....