Role

:

Composer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

July 15, 1921 in Muncie, IN

Death

:

June 6, 2010 in New York City, NY

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Vocal

 

Jack Beeson was an American composer of classical music, known for his operas and vocal works. He was born on July 15, 1921, in Muncie, Indiana, and grew up in a musical family. His father was a violinist and his mother was a pianist, and they encouraged their son's interest in music from an early age. Beeson began studying piano and violin as a child, and later took up the clarinet and saxophone. He attended DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he studied composition with Bernard Rogers and earned a bachelor's degree in music in 1943. He then served in the U.S. Army during World War II, playing in the Army band and composing music for military productions. After the war, Beeson continued his studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he earned a master's degree in music in 1947. He then studied composition with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he earned a diploma in composition in 1950. Beeson's early works were influenced by the neoclassical style of Stravinsky and Hindemith, but he later developed a more individual style that combined tonal and atonal elements. His music is characterized by its lyricism, rhythmic vitality, and dramatic intensity. Beeson's first opera, "Hello Out There," was premiered in 1954 at the New York City Opera. It is a one-act opera based on a play by William Saroyan, and tells the story of a young man who is falsely accused of rape and imprisoned. The opera was well-received and established Beeson as a promising young composer. Beeson's next opera, "Lizzie Borden," was premiered in 1965 at the New York City Opera. It is based on the infamous case of Lizzie Borden, who was accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe in 1892. The opera is a psychological drama that explores the motives and emotions of the characters, and features a complex score that combines tonal and atonal elements. "Lizzie Borden" was a critical and popular success, and has since become one of the most frequently performed American operas. Beeson's other operas include "The Sweet Bye and Bye" (1957), "Sorry, Wrong Number" (1976), "Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines" (1975), and "Dr. Heidegger's Fountain of Youth" (1985). He also composed a number of vocal works, including song cycles, choral works, and chamber music. Beeson received numerous awards and honors during his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Music Award. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Beeson died on June 6, 2010, at the age of 88. He left behind a legacy of innovative and emotionally powerful music that continues to be performed and admired by musicians and audiences around the world.

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