Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, pianist and educator has died

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, pianist and educator George Walker has died at the age of 96. Walker’s music was firmly rooted in the modern classical tradition, but also drew from African-American spirituals and jazz. His nearly 100 compositions range broadly, from intricately orchestrated symphonic works and concertos to intimate songs and solo piano pieces.

“His music is always characterized by a great sense of dignity, which is how he always comported himself,” says composer Jeffrey Mumford, who, as a music professor at Lorain County Community College in Ohio, uses examples of Walker’s music in his classes. “His style evolved over the years; his earlier works, some written while still a student, embodied an impressive clarity and elegance.”

In 1996, Walker broke new ground again when he became the first African-American composer to win a Pulitzer Prize for music. Lilacs for voice and orchestra, set to a text by Walt Whitman, is a moving meditation on the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

Walker’s reputation as a composer of works for orchestras like the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Boston Symphony slowly grew and Walker’s fame was hard-won.

Walker is often identified as an “African-American” composer instead of simply an American composer. In a 1987 interview with broadcaster Bruce Duffie, Walker said there are two sides to that label.

“I’ve benefited from being a black composer in the sense that when there are symposiums given of music by black composers, I would get performances by orchestras that otherwise would not have done the works,” Walker said. “The other aspect, of course, is that if I were not black, I would have had a far wider dispersion of my music and more performances.”

Walker had a long and distinguished academic career. He held teaching posts at New York’s New School, Rutgers University in New Jersey (where he chaired the music department), the University of Colorado, the Peabody Institute in Maryland, the University of Delaware and at Smith College, where he became the first black tenured faculty member. Walker received two Guggenheim Fellowships, an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award, and honorary doctorates from six institutions, including Oberlin and Spelman Colleges. In 1997, Washington D.C.’s mayor, Marion Barry, declared June 17th as George Walker Day.

Quelle: Tom Huizenga, npr-Music

Works for:
• Orchestra/chamber music
• Ensembles
• Educational and/or solo works
• Vocal
• Choir/Vocals

Cher, Philip Glass, Reba McEntire and Wayne Shorter receive the 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors Prize 2018

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the largest cultural center in Washington, D.C. It was posthumously named after John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.

Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have been awarded every December to selected performing artists for their lifelong contribution to American culture. The celebrations extend over a weekend and include a festive lunch at the Kennedy Center, a reception and dinner at the U.S. State Department, the presentation of medals on the ribbon at the White House by the U.S. President, and a festive evening gala at the Kennedy Center Opera House.

On December 2, 2018, the Kennedy Center Honors will hold its 41st annual national celebration of the arts. Artists to be honored in 2018 include singer and actress Cher, composer and pianist Philip Glass, country entertainer Reba McEntire and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter.

Philip Glass is not unknown in Europe either, some of his works have been premiered in Linz and other European cities. “Linz is my second home,” he says himself. He had a long-standing friendship with Dennis Russell Davies, former conductor of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, which led to “two operas (Kepler; Spuren der Verirrten) and three symphonies (Nos. 8, 9 and 11) by Glass. (derstandard.at)”

Since 14.06.2018 the name Alexander Scriabin floats over all the skies of the world.

The Russian airline Aeroflot has expanded its fleet with a new Boeing B777-300ER long-haul aircraft. The aircraft was named in honour of Aleksandr Scriabin, Russian composer of piano and orchestral music.

The new B777-300ER aircraft is equipped with business-class, economy and comfort class cabins, offering a total capacity of 402 seats.

Passengers flying the Comfort Class enjoy a premium service at extremely competitive prices. These include extra legroom and baggage allowance, an improved menu and more Aeroflot bonus miles as well as a warm welcome to Russia and Aeroflot’s award-winning in-flight service.