Role

:

Composer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

March 22, 1943 in Chicago, IL

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

Joseph Schwantner is an American composer who was born on March 22, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a musical family, with his father playing the accordion and his mother singing in the church choir. Schwantner began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the trumpet and French horn. Schwantner attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music, where he studied composition with Robert Lombardo and trumpet with Adolph Herseth. He later earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. In the early years of his career, Schwantner worked as a freelance composer and trumpet player in Chicago. He also taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Schwantner's music is known for its complex rhythms, rich harmonies, and use of percussion instruments. He has composed works for a variety of ensembles, including orchestra, chamber groups, and solo instruments. One of Schwantner's most famous works is his Percussion Concerto, which was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and premiered in 1995. The concerto features a solo percussionist who plays a variety of instruments, including marimba, vibraphone, and snare drum. The piece is known for its intricate rhythms and virtuosic solo passages. Another notable work by Schwantner is his New Morning for the World, a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. The piece features a narrator who recites excerpts from King's speeches, accompanied by an orchestra. The work was commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and premiered in 1983. Schwantner has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1979 for his composition Aftertones of Infinity. He has also been awarded the Rome Prize, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award. In addition to his work as a composer, Schwantner has also been a dedicated teacher. He has taught at the Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard School, and the Yale School of Music. Many of his former students have gone on to successful careers as composers and performers. Overall, Joseph Schwantner is a highly respected composer who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His works are known for their complexity and virtuosity, and his use of percussion instruments has helped to expand the possibilities of orchestral music.

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