- Born:
- November 22, 1925, New York, New York, U.S.
- Died:
- June 21, 2015, Boston, Massachusetts (aged 89)
- Awards And Honors:
- Pulitzer Prize
- Grammy Award (1973)
- Notable Works:
- “Symphonic Tribute to Duke Ellington”
- Movement / Style:
- 12-tone music
- Subjects Of Study:
- jazz
Gunther Schuller
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Who was Gunther Schuller?
Gunther Schuller (1925–2015) was an American composer, performer, conductor, teacher, and writer known for his work in both jazz and classical music. Schuller played French horn with the New York Philharmonic at age 15 and later became principal hornist at the Cincinnati Symphony and Metropolitan Opera orchestras.
As a composer, he combined disparate musical styles, coining the term "third stream" in 1957 to describe the fusion of jazz and classical techniques. Schuller taught at the Yale School of Music (1964–67) and was president of the New England Conservatory of music (1967–77). He authored educational works and was a leading scholar of jazz.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What kind of music did Gunther Schuller compose?
Gunther Schuller was an American composer known for his activities in both jazz and classical music. Schuller's compositions combined jazz and classical techniques, and he coined the term "third stream" to describe this confluence. His notable works include Symphonic Tribute to Duke Ellington (1955), Spectra (1958), and 7 Studies of Paul Klee (1959). Later, Schuller composed The Fisherman and His Wife (1970), an opera for children, and Concerto for Contrabassoon (1978), the first concerto written for that instrument. He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for Of Reminiscences and Reflections for orchestra (1993).
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is Gunther Schuller known for in the music world?
Gunther Schuller (1925–2015) was an American composer, performer, conductor, teacher, and writer known for his activities in both jazz and classical music. Schuller coined the term "third stream" to describe the confluence of jazz and classical techniques, and many of his compositions fused jazz elements with classical forms.
He made symphonic adaptations of several Duke Ellington pieces and collaborated with John Lewis. Schuller taught at the Yale School of Music (1964–67) and was president of the New England Conservatory of Music (1967–77). He formed the New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble, whose recording The Red Back Book won a Grammy Award in 1973.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What does the term 'Third Stream music' mean, and how is Gunther Schuller connected to it?
Third Stream music combines elements of classical music and jazz. Gunther Schuller coined the term "Third Stream" in 1957 to describe the fusion of jazz and classical techniques, incorporating improvisation into classical forms. Schuller's interest in jazz began early, becoming a fan of Duke Ellington and making symphonic adaptations of several of Ellington's pieces. Schuller's "third stream" concept aimed for a complete fusion of musical styles, blending classical concepts with jazz and various ethnic traditions.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Did Gunther Schuller play any instruments or lead any musical groups?
Gunther Schuller was a versatile American musician known as a composer, performer, conductor, teacher, and writer. Schuller played the French horn with the New York Philharmonic at age 15 and later became the principal hornist for the Cincinnati Symphony and Metropolitan Opera orchestras.
Schuller's interest in jazz led him to make symphonic adaptations of Duke Ellington's pieces. He formed the New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble, whose recording The Red Back Book won a Grammy Award in 1973. Schuller also worked as a guest conductor and conductor in residence for various orchestras and music festivals.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Gunther Schuller influence jazz and classical music in America?
Gunther Schuller (1925–2015) significantly impacted both jazz and classical music in America as a composer, performer, conductor, teacher, and writer. Schuller, born into a musical family, played French horn with the New York Philharmonic at 15. His early interest in jazz led to symphonic adaptations of Duke Ellington's pieces, such as Symphonic Tribute to Duke Ellington (1955). He coined the term "third stream" in 1957 to describe the fusion of jazz and classical techniques, evident in many of his compositions.
Schuller taught at Yale School of Music and was president of the New England Conservatory of Music. He formed the New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble, whose recording The Red Back Book won a Grammy Award in 1973. Schuller also authored influential books on jazz history and technique.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Gunther Schuller (born November 22, 1925, New York, New York, U.S.—died June 21, 2015, Boston, Massachusetts) was an American composer, performer, conductor, teacher, and writer noted for his wide range of activity in both jazz and classical music and for his works embracing both jazz and advanced 12-tone elements.
Schuller was born into a family of musicians. His grandfather was a conductor in Germany, and his father was a violinist with the New York Philharmonic for 41 years. Schuller, whose early education was in specialized music schools, began playing the French horn with the New York Philharmonic at age 15 and became principal hornist at the Cincinnati (Ohio) Symphony (1943) and Metropolitan Opera (1945) orchestras. His interest in jazz developed early when he became a fan of Duke Ellington; he made symphonic adaptations of several Ellington pieces and in 1955 composed Symphonic Tribute to Duke Ellington. He often collaborated with John Lewis, notably with the Modern Jazz Quartet and the Modern Jazz Society.
As a composer, Schuller began in the path of Anton Webern (known for writing concise 12-tone compositions), as illustrated by the Cello Concerto (1945). Later he used unusual combinations of instruments in chamber music such as the Fantasia concertante (1947) in versions for three oboes or three trombones and piano and the Quartet for four double basses (1947). By 1955 Schuller was well along in combining elements from disparate musical styles in works such as his Twelve by Eleven, for chamber orchestra with jazz improvisation. By 1957 he had coined the term third stream to describe the confluence of jazz and classical techniques. Many of his other compositions fused jazz elements with classical forms.
Other notable works by Schuller are Spectra (1958, first performed 1960), for sextuple orchestra; 7 Studies of Paul Klee (1959); Variants (1960), music for a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine; The Fisherman and His Wife (1970), an opera for children, with a libretto written by John Updike; Deaï (1978), written for two orchestras and symbolizing the merging of East and West; and Concerto for Contrabassoon (1978), the first concerto ever written for that instrument. His later works include Of Reminiscences and Reflections for orchestra (1993; Pulitzer Prize, 1994); The Black Warrior (1998), an oratorio based on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail”; and Refrains (2006), for 12 tubas, 10 euphoniums, and percussion.
Schuller taught at the Yale School of Music (1964–67) and was president of the New England Conservatory of music (1967–77). For 20 years he was affiliated with the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. He also worked as a guest conductor or as conductor in residence for several orchestras and music festivals. In addition, Schuller formed the New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble, whose recording The Red Back Book, consisting of works of Scott Joplin, became a best seller and won a Grammy Award in 1973.
Schuller authored educational works such as Horn Technique, 2nd ed. (1992), and The Compleat Conductor (1997). He was also a leading scholar of jazz, and Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development (1968, reissued 1986) and The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930–1945 (1989) are well-regarded histories. He also wrote the current Britannica article on jazz.
Schuller was awarded a Jazz Masters fellowship for advocacy in 2008 and received the 2015 Edward MacDowell Medal for outstanding contributions in his field.
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