Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Birth

:

October 20, 1945 in New York City, NY

Genre

:

Opera

 

 

Vocal

 

Thomas Pasatieri is an American composer of classical music, known for his operas, songs, and orchestral works. He was born on October 20, 1945, in New York City, to a family of musicians. His father, a violinist, and his mother, a pianist, encouraged his musical interests from an early age. Pasatieri began studying piano at the age of six and later added the violin to his repertoire. He attended the Juilliard School of Music in New York City, where he studied composition with Vincent Persichetti and piano with Rosina Lhevinne. He also studied conducting with Jean Morel and Leonard Bernstein. Pasatieri's early works were influenced by the neoclassical style of Stravinsky and the serialism of Schoenberg. His first opera, The Women, premiered in 1974 at the Houston Grand Opera and was well-received by critics. The opera is based on a play by Clare Boothe Luce and tells the story of a group of wealthy women in New York City. In the 1980s, Pasatieri began to incorporate more tonal elements into his music, drawing inspiration from composers such as Puccini and Verdi. His opera, The Seagull, premiered in 1984 at the Houston Grand Opera and was based on the play by Anton Chekhov. The opera was praised for its lyrical melodies and emotional depth. Pasatieri's other notable operas include Black Widow, which premiered in 1985 at the San Francisco Opera, and Frau Margot, which premiered in 2007 at the Fort Worth Opera. Black Widow is based on the true story of a woman who murdered her husbands for their money, while Frau Margot is based on the life of Margot Fonteyn, the famous ballerina. In addition to his operas, Pasatieri has composed numerous songs and orchestral works. His song cycle, Letter to Warsaw, is based on the poetry of Czeslaw Milosz and was premiered by soprano Dawn Upshaw in 1993. His orchestral works include Symphony No. 3, which premiered in 1999 with the National Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony No. 4, which premiered in 2011 with the Nashville Symphony. Pasatieri has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the American Academy of Arts and Letters Music Award in 1982 and the National Opera Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He has also served as a mentor to many young composers, teaching at the Manhattan School of Music and the University of North Texas. In conclusion, Thomas Pasatieri is a prolific and accomplished composer of classical music, known for his operas, songs, and orchestral works. His music draws on a wide range of influences, from neoclassicism to tonality, and is characterized by its emotional depth and lyrical melodies. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work and has been a mentor to many young composers.

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