Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

October 24, 1929 in Charleston, WV

Death

:

February 6, 2022 in Media, PA

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Vocal

 

George Crumb is an American composer who was born on October 24, 1929, in Charleston, West Virginia. He grew up in a musical family, with his mother being a pianist and his father a trumpet player. Crumb began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the violin and percussion instruments. Crumb attended Mason College of Music in Charleston, where he studied composition with Walter Hekking. He later went on to study at the University of Illinois, where he earned his master's degree in music composition. While at the University of Illinois, Crumb studied with composers such as Paul Hindemith and Arthur Honegger. Crumb's early works were influenced by the serialism movement, which was popular in the mid-20th century. However, he soon began to develop his own unique style, which incorporated elements of avant-garde, experimental, and mystical music. Crumb's music often features unconventional instrumentation, such as toy pianos, musical saws, and glass harmonicas. One of Crumb's most famous works is "Black Angels," which was composed in 1970. The piece is scored for electric string quartet and includes various unconventional techniques, such as playing the instruments with drumsticks and using a glass slide on the strings. "Black Angels" was inspired by the Vietnam War and includes references to the Bible and numerology. Another notable work by Crumb is "Makrokosmos," which is a series of four books for solo piano. The pieces in "Makrokosmos" are inspired by astrology and include titles such as "The Magic Circle of Infinity" and "Spiral Galaxy." The music in "Makrokosmos" is highly virtuosic and often requires the pianist to use extended techniques, such as playing inside the piano. Crumb's other works include "Ancient Voices of Children," which is a song cycle for soprano, boy soprano, oboe, mandolin, harp, amplified piano, and percussion. The piece is based on poems by Federico García Lorca and includes elements of Spanish folk music. Crumb's "Vox Balaenae" is a piece for electric flute, cello, and amplified piano, which is inspired by the songs of humpback whales. Crumb has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1968 for his work "Echoes of Time and the River." He has also been awarded the National Medal of Arts and has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In addition to his work as a composer, Crumb has also been a professor of music at various universities, including the University of Colorado and the University of Pennsylvania. He has also served as a guest lecturer and conductor at numerous institutions around the world. Overall, George Crumb is a highly influential composer who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His unique style and unconventional instrumentation have inspired countless musicians and continue to captivate audiences around the world.

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