Role

:

Composer Performer

Birth

:

1930

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Keyboard

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Vocal

 

Ruth Lomon was a renowned American composer of classical music, known for her unique style and innovative approach to composition. Born on May 26, 1930, in Boston, Massachusetts, Lomon grew up in a family of musicians. Her father was a violinist, and her mother was a pianist, which exposed her to music from an early age. Lomon began her musical education at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano and composition. She later went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University and a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. Throughout her career, Lomon was influenced by a variety of musical styles, including classical, jazz, and world music. She was particularly drawn to the music of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, which she incorporated into her compositions. Lomon's early works were characterized by their use of unconventional techniques and instrumentation. Her first major composition, "Three Songs for Soprano and Chamber Orchestra," was written in 1963 and featured a combination of traditional and non-traditional instruments, including a harpsichord and a vibraphone. In the 1970s, Lomon began to experiment with electronic music, incorporating synthesizers and other electronic instruments into her compositions. Her 1976 work, "The Shape of Time," was one of the first pieces of music to use computer-generated sounds. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Lomon continued to push the boundaries of classical music, incorporating elements of rock, jazz, and world music into her compositions. Her 1987 work, "The Book of Ruth," was a multimedia piece that combined music, dance, and video. Lomon's most famous work is perhaps her 1993 opera, "The Scarlet Letter," which was based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The opera was praised for its innovative use of electronic music and its powerful portrayal of the novel's themes of guilt and redemption. In addition to her work as a composer, Lomon was also a respected music educator. She taught at the New England Conservatory of Music and the Boston Conservatory, and was a visiting professor at several other universities. Lomon received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts grant, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Music Award. She was also a fellow of the MacDowell Colony and the Yaddo artist colony. Lomon passed away on May 12, 2017, at the age of 86. Her legacy as a pioneering composer and educator continues to inspire musicians and music lovers around the world.

More....