Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

October 28, 1896 in Wahoo, NE

Death

:

February 26, 1981 in Rochester, NY

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Choral

 

 

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

Howard Hanson was an American composer, conductor, and educator who was born on October 28, 1896, in Wahoo, Nebraska. He was the eldest of seven children and grew up in a musical family. His father, Hans, was a Swedish immigrant who played the violin, and his mother, Hilma, was a pianist. Hanson began playing the piano at the age of six and later learned to play the violin and cello. Hanson's family moved to California when he was a teenager, and he attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied composition with Arthur Bliss and Ernest Bloch. He graduated in 1916 and went on to study at the Institute of Musical Art (now the Juilliard School) in New York City, where he studied with Percy Grainger and studied conducting with Albert Stoessel. In 1921, Hanson became the director of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, a position he held for 40 years. During his tenure, he transformed the school into one of the most prestigious music schools in the country. He also founded the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra, which became one of the leading orchestras in the United States. As a composer, Hanson was known for his romantic and lyrical style, which was influenced by the music of Jean Sibelius and the French Impressionists. He wrote in a variety of genres, including orchestral works, chamber music, choral music, and opera. One of Hanson's most famous works is his Symphony No. 2, "Romantic," which he composed in 1930. The symphony is a lush and sweeping work that is reminiscent of the music of Sibelius and Tchaikovsky. It is one of the most frequently performed American symphonies and has become a staple of the orchestral repertoire. Hanson also wrote a number of other orchestral works, including his Symphony No. 4, "Requiem," which he composed in 1943 in memory of his father. The symphony is a powerful and emotional work that is considered one of Hanson's greatest achievements. In addition to his orchestral works, Hanson wrote a number of chamber music pieces, including his String Quartet No. 2, which he composed in 1935. The quartet is a lyrical and expressive work that showcases Hanson's gift for melody and harmony. Hanson was also a prolific composer of choral music, and his works in this genre include his Song of Democracy, which he composed in 1957. The piece is a setting of a poem by Walt Whitman and is a powerful tribute to the ideals of democracy and freedom. Hanson's opera, Merry Mount, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1934. The opera is based on a Nathaniel Hawthorne story and tells the story of a Puritan settlement in Massachusetts in the 17th century. The opera was not a commercial success, but it is considered an important work in the American operatic repertoire. In addition to his work as a composer, Hanson was also a respected conductor. He conducted many of his own works with the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra and also guest conducted with many other orchestras throughout the United States. Hanson received many honors and awards during his lifetime, including the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1944 for his Symphony No. 4, "Requiem." He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Hanson died on February 26, 1981, in Rochester, New York, at the age of 84. He left behind a legacy as one of the most important American composers of the 20th century.

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