Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1941

 

Robert L. Morris was an American composer and music educator who was born on December 17, 1943, in New York City. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a singer. Morris began playing the piano at a young age and showed a natural talent for music. He attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City, where he studied composition with Vittorio Giannini. After high school, Morris went on to study at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 1965. He then went on to earn his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music in 1967, where he studied with Elliott Carter and Mel Powell. Morris began his career as a composer in the late 1960s, and his early works were heavily influenced by the serialist and atonal music of the time. However, he soon began to develop his own unique style, which incorporated elements of jazz, rock, and world music. One of Morris's early works, "Piano Piece No. 1" (1966), is a prime example of his early serialist style. The piece is characterized by its use of twelve-tone rows and its complex rhythmic structure. However, Morris's later works would move away from this style and incorporate more tonal elements. In the 1970s, Morris began to experiment with electronic music, and he became one of the pioneers of computer music. He worked with the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center and created several works using computer-generated sounds. One of his most famous electronic works is "Pulse Music III" (1978), which features a pulsing, rhythmic texture created using computer algorithms. Morris's music is characterized by its complex rhythms, intricate textures, and use of unconventional instruments and sounds. He often incorporated non-Western instruments and scales into his works, such as the gamelan and the Indian raga. His music is also known for its use of improvisation and its incorporation of jazz and rock elements. One of Morris's most famous works is "Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano" (1982), which was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The piece is characterized by its use of complex rhythms and its incorporation of jazz and rock elements. It has been performed by numerous ensembles around the world and is considered one of Morris's most important works. Another notable work by Morris is "Gamelan Variations" (1984), which was inspired by the Indonesian gamelan orchestra. The piece features a complex interplay of rhythms and textures, and incorporates elements of the gamelan's tuning system and scales. Morris was also a respected music educator, and he taught at several universities throughout his career. He was a professor of music at the University of California, Santa Cruz, from 1971 to 2008, and he also taught at the University of Hawaii and the University of Illinois. In addition to his work as a composer and educator, Morris was also a respected musicologist and wrote extensively on the music of Charles Ives. He was a co-editor of the "Charles Ives Society Critical Edition" and wrote several articles and essays on Ives's music. Morris received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. He was also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Robert L. Morris passed away on May 20, 2018, at the age of 74.

More....