Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

August 15, 1922 in Berlin, Germany

Death

:

February 1, 2009 in New York City, NY

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Lukas Foss was a renowned American composer, conductor, and pianist who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. Born on August 15, 1922, in Berlin, Germany, Foss was the son of a prominent philosopher and musicologist, and his mother was a talented pianist. Foss's family moved to Paris in 1933, and then to the United States in 1937, where he began his musical education. Foss's musical talent was evident from a young age, and he began studying piano with his mother at the age of five. He later studied with Carl Friedberg, a student of Clara Schumann, and then with Lazare Levy, a renowned pianist and teacher. Foss also studied composition with Paul Hindemith, a German composer and conductor who had a significant influence on his musical style. In 1940, Foss made his debut as a pianist with the New York Philharmonic, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. He continued to perform as a soloist and chamber musician throughout his career, and his recordings of works by Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart are still highly regarded. Foss's early compositions were influenced by Hindemith's neoclassical style, but he soon developed his own unique voice. His works often combined elements of classical and modern music, and he was known for his use of unconventional instruments and techniques. One of his most famous works, "Baroque Variations," was composed in 1957 and features a harpsichord, a jazz band, and a symphony orchestra. In addition to his work as a composer, Foss was also a respected conductor. He served as the music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra from 1963 to 1971, and then as the conductor of the Brooklyn Philharmonic from 1971 to 1990. He also guest conducted many of the world's leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Foss's compositions were widely performed and recorded, and he received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 1958, he won the New York Music Critics' Circle Award for his composition "Echoi." He was also awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1960 and a MacArthur Fellowship in 1987. Foss continued to compose and perform until his death on February 1, 2009, at the age of 86. His legacy as a composer, conductor, and pianist continues to inspire and influence musicians around the world.

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