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Composers Bureau
Jack Beeson
Biography
1921 Born July 15, Muncie, Indiana
1928 Begins piano lessons with Luella Weimer
1933 Begins to compose; decides to become an "opera-composer," influenced
by Metropolitan Opera broadcasts
1936-39 Continues piano lessons with Percival Owen, a Leschetizky
protege; studies music history, harmony and species counterpoint.
Writes three libretti and sketches music for them
1938 Receives certificates with first class honors in piano and
theory from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Toronto
1939-44 At the Eastman School of Music studies piano and cello,
and composition with Royce, Phillips, Rogers, and Hanson; B.M. 1942,
M.M. 1943, residence and dissertation for the Ph.D. 1943-44
1944-45 Private study with Bela Bartok in New York City; begins
association with Columbia University Opera Workshop and the opera
productions of Columbia Theatre Associates. First performances of
his music in New York City
1945-46 Audits seminars of Paul Henry Lang and begins studying conducting
with Rudolph Thomas; first teaching appointment at Columbia
1946-47 Begins adapting Paul Goodman's play and composing the music
for Jonah; writes and performs the Fifth Sonata (piano);
coach and associate conductor of the Stein/ Thomson The Mother
of Us All premiere
1948-50 In Rome as recipient of the Rome Prize and Fulbright fellowships;
completes Jonah
1950-52 Returns to teaching and opera productions at Columbia. Revises
a few pre-Jonah works and withdraws the rest, except those
under publication contracts
1953-54 Adapts Saroyan's play as a libretto, composes Hello Out
There; superintends its first performance
1955-58 Collaborates with Kenward Elmslie on The Sweet Bye and
Bye, first performed at the Juilliard School; is granted tenure
at Columbia
1958-59 Spends year in Rome on a Guggenheim Fellowship; writes three
orchestral works and numerous smaller pieces
1960-65 Composes Lizzie Borden and coaches singers for its
first performance by the New York City Opera. Becomes officer in
charge of the Alice M. Ditson fund and serves as board member and/or
juror for a large number of organizations aiding the American composer.
Guest teacher at the Juilliard School (1961-63)
1965-67 Recording and publication of Lizzie Borden, which
is televised by NET Opera and revived by the New York City Opera.
Becomes MacDowell Professor of Music at Columbia. While resident
composer at the American Academy in Rome, writes numerous small
instrumental and vocal works and begins work on the libretto and
music of My Heart's in the Highlands
1968-72 Completion of Highlands, commissioned and first performed
by NET Opera, with the composer in the cast. Elected chairman of
the Music Department at Columbia. Receives the Marc Blitzstein Award
for the Musical Theatre from the American Academy and Institute
of Arts and Letters
1972-74 Begins collaboration with Sheldon Harnick on Captain
Jinks of the Horse Marines, commissioned by the National Endowment
for the Arts. Initiates and superintends the publication of American
music by the Columbia University Press (to 1988)
1975-76 Premiere of Captain Jinks, recorded by RCA Records
with aid from the Ford Foundation. Elected member of the American
Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and awarded the gold medal
for music by the National Arts Club
1976-79 Composes Doctor Heidegger's Fountain of Youth, commissioned
and first performed by the National Arts Club. Granted the Great
Teacher's Award by Columbia (1979)
1980-91 Writes, with Sheldon Harnick, Cyrano, heroic comedy
in music. Chooses early retirement from Columbia (1988) but returns
as member of the Society of Senior Scholars
Recordings
- Operas
- Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines, Kansas City Lyric
Theater/Russell Patterson. Bay Cities Music BCD 1044.
- Doctor Heidegger's Fountain of Youth, National Arts
Club/Thomas Martin. CRI
SD 406.
- Hello Out There, Columbia University Opera Workshop/Frederic
Waldman. Bay Cities Music BCD 1034.
- Lizzie Borden, New York City Opera/Anton Coppola.
CRI CD.
- The Sweet Bye and Bye, Kansas City Lyric Theater/Russell
Patterson. CRI
CD.
- Other works
- Boys and Girls Together, Give the Poor Singer
a Penny (from Nursery Rhyme Rounds), and Greener
Pastures, Gregg Smith Singers/Gregg Smith. CRI
S241.
- Calvinistic Evensong Desto ST/AND 411/412
- Death by Owl-Eyes, Eldorado, and The You
Should of Done It Blues, Carolyn Heafner, soprano/Dixie
Ross Neill, piano. CRI
S462
- Fifth Piano Sonata, Yvar Mikhashoff, piano. CRI
S464.
- From a Watchtower (Nos. 1, 3, 5), Theresa Treadway,
soprano/Marshall Williamson, piano. Orion ORS 84476.
- Knots, Magicke Pieces, Rhymes and Rounds,
Three Settings from the Bay Psalm Book, and The
Tides of Miranda, Gregg Smith Singers/Gregg Smith. GSS
118.
- Symphony No.1, Polish National Radio Orchestra/William
Strickland. CRI S196, Bay Cities Music BCD 1034 (reissue of
CRI S196)
- Two Pieces, Boosey & Hawkes Records SBH 3004
Compositions
Further Information
Contact Information
404 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10025
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