George Walker (composer)
George Walker | |
---|---|
Born | Washington, D.C., U.S. | June 27, 1922
Died | August 23, 2018 Montclair, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 96)
Occupations | |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 (Gregory and Ian) |
George Theophilus Walker (June 27, 1922 – August 23, 2018) was an American composer, pianist, and organist,[1] and the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music,[2] which he received for his work Lilacs in 1996.[3] Walker was married to pianist and scholar Helen Walker-Hill (May 26, 1936 – August 8, 2013) between 1960 and 1975. Walker was the father of two sons, violinist and composer Gregory T.S. Walker and playwright Ian Walker.[4]
Biography
Walker was first exposed to music at the age of five when he began to play the piano. He was admitted to the
Walker's first major orchestral work was the Address for Orchestra. His
Walker died on August 23, 2018, in Montclair, New Jersey, at the age of 96.[5]
Awards and recognition
In 1996, Walker became the first black composer to receive the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his work, Lilacs for voice and orchestra, premiered by the Boston Symphony, Seiji Ozawa conducting. Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry proclaimed June 17, 1997, as "George Walker Day" in the nation's capital.[6]
In 1997, Walker was awarded the
In 1998, he received the Composers Award from the Lancaster Symphony and the letter of Distinction from the American Music Center for "his significant contributions to the field of contemporary American Music".
Over the next several years, he received the Dorothy Maynor Outstanding Arts Citizen Award (2000), Classical Roots Award from the Detroit Symphony (2001), the A.I. Dupont Award from the Delaware Symphony (2002) the Washington Music Hall of Fame (2002), and the Aaron Copland ASCAP Award (2012). He was the recipient of two Guggenheim Fellowships,
His autobiography, Reminiscences of an American Composer and Pianist, was released in 2009 by Scarecrow Press.[13]
Music
Walker's music was influenced by a wide variety of musical styles including jazz, folk songs, and church hymns, as well as classical music.
Major compositions
Walker's oeuvre includes the following works:[citation needed]
- A Red, Red Rose for Voice and Piano
- Abu for Narrator and Chamber Ensembles (Network for New Music commission)
- Address for Orchestra
- An Eastman Overture (Eastman School of Music commission)
- Antifonys for Chamber Orchestra
- Bleu for Unaccompanied Violin
- Cantata for Soprano, Tenor, Boys Choir, and Chamber Orchestra (Boys Choir of Harlem commission)
- Canvas for Wind Ensemble and Narrator (College Band Directors National Association commission)
- Cello Concerto (New York Philharmonic commission)
- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (National Endowment for the Arts Commission)
- Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (1957)
- Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
- Da Camera (Musica Reginae commission)
- Dialogus for Cello and Orchestra (Cleveland Orchestra commission)
- Emily Dickinson Songs
- Five Fancies for Clarinet and Piano Four Hands (David Ensemble commission)
- Foils for Orchestra (Hommage a Saint George) (Eastman School of Music commission)
- Folk Songs for Orchestra
- Guido's Hand (Xerox commission)
- Hommage to Saint George (Eastman School of Music commission)
- Hoopla: A Touch of Glee
- Icarus In Orbit
- In Praise of Folly
- Lilacs for Voice and Orchestra
- Lyric for Strings
- Mass for Soloists, Chorus, and Orchestra (National Endowment for the Arts commission)
- Modus (Cygnus Ensemble commission)
- Movements for Cello and Orchestra
- Music for 3
- Music for Brass (Sacred and Profane)
- Music for Two Pianos
- Nine Songs for Voice and Piano
- Orpheus for Narrator and Chamber Orchestra
- Overture: In Praise of Folly
- Pageant and Proclamation (New Jersey Symphony commission)
- Perimeters for Clarinet and Piano
- Piano Sonata No. 1
- Piano Sonata No. 2
- Piano Sonata No. 3
- Piano Sonata No. 4
- Piano Sonata No. 5
- Poem for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (National Endowment for the Arts commission)
- Poeme for Violin and Orchestra (Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra premiere)
- Psalms for Chorus
- Serenata for Chamber Orchestra (Michigan Chamber Orchestra commission)
- Sinfonia No. 1 (Fromm Foundation commission)
- Sinfonia No. 2 (Koussevitsky commission)
- Sinfonia No. 3
- Sinfonia No. 4
- Sinfonia No. 5 "Visions" (two versions, one with voices and one without)
- Sonata for Cello and Piano
- Sonata for Two Pianos
- Sonata for Viola and Piano
- Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1
- Spatials for Piano
- Spektra for Piano
- Spires for Organ
- String Quartet No. 1
- String Quartet No. 2
- Tangents for Chamber Orchestra (Columbus Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra commission)
- Three Pieces for Organ
- Two Pieces for Organ
- Variations for Orchestra
- Violin and Piano Sonata No. 2
- Windset for Woodwind Quintet
References
- JSTOR 742584.
- ^ "George Walker: the great American composer you've never heard of". The Guardian. August 27, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
- ^ De Lerma, Dominique-Rene. "African Heritage Symphonic Series". Liner note essay. Cedille Records CDR061.
- ISBN 978-0810869400, p. 153.
- ^ "George Walker, Trailblazing American Composer, Dies At 96", NPR.
- ^ "George Walker: Prominent Composer & Washingtonian Grew Up on Sherman Avenue". Park View, D.C. December 24, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ Moss, Gary (November 4, 1997). "Composer Gets Warm Welcome". The Fayetteville Observer.
- ^ "Historical List of American Music Center Award Recipients". NewMusicBox.org. May 7, 2003. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ "American Academy of Arts and Letters – Current Members". Artsandletters.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ a b Scarlet Letter 1924 (Rutgers University yearbook), Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.
- ^ "American Academy of Arts and Letters – Awards Search". Artsandletters.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ "Commencement 2012 :: University of Rochester". Rochester.edu. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ George Walker. Reminiscences of an American Composer and Pianist, By George Walker, 9780810869400. Rowman & Littlefield. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- ^ JSTOR 742584.
- ^ Edwards, Amber (1991). "George Walker". Retrieved November 6, 2018 – via Vimeo.
- JSTOR 40856228.
- JSTOR 742584.
- JSTOR 1214404.
- ^ "Composer of the Week - George Walker (1922-2018) - la Boulangerie - BBC Sounds".
External links
- George Walker official website
- A 2017 Conversation with George Walker (includes video excerpts)
- George Walker interview by Bruce Duffie
- 2012 George Walker interview by Ethan Iverson
- George Theophilus Walker, African American Composer & Pianist at AfriClassical.com
- George Walker, Composer Documentary produced by NJTV
- George Walker Collection at the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library
- 'Ep. 35: Legendary Pulitzer Prize winning American composer George Walker' Interview by Tigran Arakelyan