9/17/2015

MelPowellLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

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Mel Powell
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Mel Powell
Born: 1923
Died: 1998
Nationality: American
Publisher: G. Schirmer
Born12February1923inNewYork,MelPowellbeganhismusicallifeasaprodigious
jazzartist,workingaspianistandarrangerwiththeBennyGoodmanOrchestraandlater,
theGlennMillerArmyAirForceBand.Soon,however,astrongcompositionalinstinct
promptedhismatriculationatYaleUniversity,wherehestudiedwithPaulHindemith.
UnderHindemith,andthroughoutthelate1940sand1950s,Powellcomposedprimarily
inaneoclassicstyleproducingsuchworksastheCantilenaConcertanteforEnglishhorn
andorchestra,Divertimentoforviolinandharp,andTrioforpiano,violinandcello.
In1959,Powell'smusicalpersonalityblossomedandtheinfluenceofWebernwas
manifestedinabrevityofformsandtransparencyoftextures.Aninnovativeand
consistentlyadventurousmusicalstyleembracedexperimentationwithextendedstring
techniquesandinventednotations(asintheFiligreeSettingforstringquartet),musical
blocksofchords,pitchsequences,rhythms,andcolors(representedinModules:An
Intermezzoforchamberorchestra),andtapeandelectronics(suchasinthesongcycle
StrandSettings:Darker).Duplicates:AConcertoforTwoPianosandOrchestrawas
awardedthePulitzerPrizein1990andillustratesPowell'smeticulouscraftsmanshipand
singularskillatassemblingrichlyexpressiveyetintricatelycomplexmusicalstructures.
PowellwasoneoftheinstrumentalfoundersoftheCaliforniaInstituteoftheArts.He
servedasdeanofthemusicschoolfrom1969to1978,and,atthetimeofhisdeathon24
April1998,heheldtheRoyE.Disneyendowedchairinmusiccomposition.Powellreceivedawardsandcommissionsfrom
SigmaAlphaIota,theGuggenheimFoundation,theAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters,andtheNEA.Amonghisfinal
workswere:thePianoTrio'94theSonatina(forsoloflute)andtheSextet,premieredin1996bytheCaliforniaEARUnitthe
songcycle,LevertovBreviary,premieredin1997bysopranoJudithBettinaandpianistJamesGoldsworthyforHarvard
University'sFrommFoundationandSevenMiniaturesWomenPoetsofChina,aworkforharpandvoicepremieredat
NewYork'sMerkinConcertHallinOctober1998bySusanAllenandAnneLiseBerntsen.
HismusicispublishedbyG.Schirmer,Inc.
February1999

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