Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

May 28, 1931 in Champaign, IL

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Opera

 

Peter Westergaard was an American composer and music theorist who was born on August 10, 1931, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the son of Danish immigrants, and his father was a Lutheran minister. Westergaard grew up in a musical family, and he began playing the piano at a young age. He also sang in his church choir and played the trumpet in his high school band. Westergaard attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he studied music theory and composition. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1953 and went on to study at the University of Minnesota, where he earned his Master of Music degree in 1955. He then studied at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark on a Fulbright scholarship, where he worked with the composer Vagn Holmboe. In 1957, Westergaard began teaching at Columbia University in New York City, where he would spend the rest of his career. He became a full professor in 1970 and was named the Fritz Reiner Professor of Musical Composition in 1985. He also served as the chair of the music department from 1977 to 1980. Westergaard was a prolific composer who wrote music in a variety of genres, including chamber music, vocal music, and orchestral music. He was known for his use of serialism and other modernist techniques, but he also incorporated tonal elements into his music. His compositions often featured complex rhythms and harmonies, and he was interested in exploring the relationships between different musical elements. One of Westergaard's most famous works is his String Trio, which he composed in 1960. The piece is written in a serialist style and features intricate rhythms and harmonies. It has been performed by many prominent chamber music ensembles, including the Juilliard String Quartet. Another notable work by Westergaard is his opera The Tempest, which he composed in 1985. The opera is based on the play by William Shakespeare and features a libretto by the composer. It premiered at the Santa Fe Opera in New Mexico and has been performed by several other opera companies since then. Westergaard was also a respected music theorist who wrote several influential books on the subject. His book An Introduction to Tonal Theory, which was first published in 1975, is still widely used in music theory courses today. He also wrote a book on the music of Bach, which explored the composer's use of counterpoint and other techniques. In addition to his work as a composer and music theorist, Westergaard was also a dedicated teacher. He mentored many young composers during his time at Columbia, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Corigliano. He was known for his rigorous approach to teaching and his commitment to helping his students develop their own unique voices as composers. Westergaard received many honors and awards during his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1992. Peter Westergaard passed away on March 15, 2019, at the age of 87. He left behind a legacy as a composer, music theorist, and teacher who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His music continues to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world.

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