- Born:
- February 16, 1938, New York, New York, U.S. (age 88)
- Awards And Honors:
- Pulitzer Prize
- Grammy Award (2008)
- Academy Award (2000)
- Grammy Award (1996)
- Grammy Award (1991)
John Corigliano
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Who is John Corigliano?
John Corigliano, born in New York City in 1938, is an American composer known for his accessible and expressive music, which draws from various influences. His works include compositions for orchestra, solo instruments, chamber groups, operas, choral works, and film scores. In 2001, he won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra.
Corigliano's father was the concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, and his mother was a piano teacher. He studied at Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music. His notable compositions include Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (1977), the opera The Ghosts of Versailles, which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1991, and his third film score, The Red Violin, which won an Academy Award in 2000.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What kind of music does John Corigliano compose?
John Corigliano is an American composer known for his eclectic style, creating generally tonal and accessible music that is often highly expressive.
Corigliano's compositions include works for orchestra, solo instruments, and chamber groups, as well as operas, choral works, and film scores. Some of his notable works include:
* Sonata for Violin and Piano (1964)
* Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (1977)
* Pied Piper Fantasy (1982)
* Symphony No. 1 (1987-90)
* The Ghosts of Versailles (1991)
* String Quartet (1995)
* The Red Violin (1998)
* A Dylan Thomas Trilogy (1999)
* Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (2000)
* Circus Maximus (2005)2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some of John Corigliano's most famous works?
John Corigliano is an American composer known for his accessible and expressive music, which incorporates eclectic influences. He has composed for orchestras, solo instruments, chamber groups, operas, choral works, and film scores.
Some of Corigliano's most famous works include:
* Sonata for Violin and Piano (1964)
* Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (1977)
* Pied Piper Fantasy (1982)
* Symphony No. 1 (1990)
* The Ghosts of Versailles (1991)
* String Quartet (1995)
* The film score for The Red Violin (2000)
* Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra (2001)1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has John Corigliano influenced American classical music?
John Corigliano is an American composer known for his accessible and expressive music, which draws from various influences. His compositions include works for orchestra, solo instruments, chamber groups, operas, choral works, and film scores. Corigliano's diverse body of work and his ability to blend traditional and contemporary styles have made him a prominent figure in American classical music. He has received commissions from major orchestras and opera houses, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera. Corigliano has also taught at institutions such as the Juilliard School, influencing the next generation of composers.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What awards and honors has John Corigliano received during his career?
John Corigliano is an American composer known for his diverse musical creations, including orchestral works, operas, chamber music, and film scores. He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 2001 for his Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra. Additionally, Corigliano received an Academy Award in 2000 for his score to the film The Red Violin. He was also elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1991.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
John Corigliano (born February 16, 1938, New York, New York, U.S.) is an American composer who drew from eclectic influences to create music that was generally tonal, accessible, and often highly expressive. Corigliano, who composed works for orchestra, solo instruments, and chamber groups, as well as operas, choral works, and film scores, won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra.
Corigliano’s father was concertmaster (1943–66) of the New York Philharmonic, and his mother was a piano teacher. In his teens he began analyzing the scores of compositions while listening to recordings, and he demonstrated an ability to transpose and harmonize. Corigliano graduated (1959) from Columbia University in New York City and also studied at the Manhattan School of Music. He then worked for radio stations, assisted composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein in the production of his Young People’s Concerts, produced recordings, and did orchestrations for pop albums.
In 1964 Corigliano’s first major work, Sonata for Violin and Piano, won the chamber music competition at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. It received its premiere two years later at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Among his other compositions are Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra (1977); Pied Piper Fantasy (1982), a concerto commissioned by flutist James Galway; Symphony No. 1, completed while Corigliano was composer in residence (1987–90) with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; the opera The Ghosts of Versailles, which was commissioned by New York’s Metropolitan Opera and premiered there in 1991; String Quartet (1995); A Dylan Thomas Trilogy (1999); and Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (2000). Circus Maximus, a symphony for three wind bands, had its premiere at the University of Texas in 2005. The Red Violin, his third film score, won an Academy Award in 2000; a piece based in part on the score, The Red Violin Concerto, was recorded by violinist Joshua Bell and the Baltimore Sympony Orchestra in 2007.
Corigliano’s later works included STOMP, a piece for solo violin that he wrote for the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition; One Sweet Morning (2011), jointly commissioned by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks; and Rhymes for the Irreverent and no comet ever scratched the sky (both 2017), scores for baritone and piano. He also set to music And the People Stayed Home (2020), writer Kitty O’Meara’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Corigliano taught at institutions in New York City, including the Juilliard School (from 1991). In 1991 he was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.