Role

:

Composer Performer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

October 27, 1912 in Texarkana, AR

Death

:

August 10, 1997 in Mexico City, Mexico

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Keyboard

 

Conlon Nancarrow was an American composer who is best known for his innovative and complex works for player piano. He was born on October 27, 1912, in Texarkana, Arkansas, to a family of musicians. His father was a trumpet player and his mother was a pianist. Nancarrow showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at a young age. Nancarrow studied music at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and later at the Boston Conservatory. He also studied composition with Roger Sessions and Walter Piston at Harvard University. In 1937, he traveled to Spain to fight in the Spanish Civil War, where he was wounded and captured by Franco's forces. He was eventually released and returned to the United States. In the 1940s, Nancarrow moved to New York City and became involved in the avant-garde music scene. He began experimenting with player pianos, which allowed him to create complex and intricate rhythms that were impossible for human performers to play. He spent many years working on his player piano compositions, which he created by punching holes in rolls of paper that controlled the piano's keys. Nancarrow's early works for player piano were influenced by jazz and popular music, but he later developed a more abstract and complex style. His compositions often featured irregular rhythms, complex polyrhythms, and intricate canons. He also experimented with microtonal tuning, which allowed him to create new and unusual harmonies. Nancarrow's most famous works for player piano include the Studies for Player Piano, which he began composing in the 1940s and continued to work on for many years. The Studies are a series of short pieces that explore different rhythmic and harmonic ideas. They are considered some of the most complex and challenging works ever written for player piano. In addition to his work for player piano, Nancarrow also composed works for traditional instruments, including string quartets, orchestral works, and chamber music. His later works often incorporated electronic music and computer-generated sounds. Nancarrow's music was not widely performed during his lifetime, but he gained a following among avant-garde composers and musicians. He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1982, which allowed him to continue working on his music. He died on August 10, 1997, in Mexico City, where he had lived since the 1950s. Today, Nancarrow is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century. His innovative use of player pianos and his complex rhythms and harmonies have influenced generations of composers. His music continues to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world.

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