Role

:

Composer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

May 17, 1923 in Erie, PA

Death

:

June 17, 1983 in New York City, NY

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

Peter Mennin was an American composer and conductor who was born on May 17, 1923, in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of three children born to Italian immigrants, and his parents were both amateur musicians. Mennin's father played the violin, and his mother played the piano, and they encouraged their children to pursue music. Mennin began studying the piano at the age of six, and he showed an early talent for music. He also played the violin and the clarinet, but he eventually settled on the cello as his primary instrument. He studied with several local teachers, including his father, and he also played in the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1940, Mennin enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio, where he studied composition with Normand Lockwood. He also studied conducting with Robert Shaw, who would later become a renowned choral conductor. Mennin was a dedicated student, and he spent long hours in the practice room, honing his skills as a composer and conductor. After graduating from Oberlin in 1943, Mennin enrolled at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He studied composition with Howard Hanson, who was the director of the school, and he also studied conducting with Bernard Rogers. Mennin was a standout student at Eastman, and he won several awards for his compositions. In 1945, Mennin was drafted into the U.S. Army, and he served as a bandmaster in the Army Air Corps. He was stationed in Texas, where he conducted the base band and wrote music for military ceremonies. After his discharge in 1946, Mennin returned to Eastman to complete his studies. Mennin's early compositions were influenced by the neoclassical style of Stravinsky and the serialism of Schoenberg. His music was characterized by its rhythmic energy, its use of dissonance, and its complex harmonies. Some of his early works include the Symphony No. 1 (1942), the Piano Concerto (1943), and the String Quartet No. 1 (1945). In 1947, Mennin was appointed the director of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. He was only 24 years old at the time, and he was the youngest person ever to hold the position. Mennin was a dynamic leader, and he transformed the conservatory into one of the leading music schools in the country. He also continued to compose during his tenure at Peabody, and he wrote some of his most important works during this time. One of Mennin's most famous works is the Symphony No. 5, which he composed in 1952. The symphony is a powerful and dramatic work, with a driving rhythm and a sense of urgency. It was premiered by the New York Philharmonic under the direction of Dimitri Mitropoulos, and it was an immediate success. The symphony has since become one of Mennin's most frequently performed works, and it is considered a masterpiece of American symphonic music. Mennin's other important works from this period include the Symphony No. 6 (1953), the Concertato for Orchestra (1956), and the Piano Sonata (1958). These works are characterized by their complex harmonies, their rhythmic vitality, and their emotional intensity. Mennin was a master of orchestration, and his music is known for its rich and colorful textures. In 1962, Mennin resigned from his position at Peabody to become the president of the Juilliard School in New York City. He was again the youngest person ever to hold the position, and he brought the same energy and vision to Juilliard that he had brought to Peabody.

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