Neo-Romantic

9 April

April 9th: Florence Price

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America 20th Century, April, Florence Price, Neo-Romantic, Symphony No. 1 in E minor

Florence Price 9 April 1887 – 3 June 1953

Symphony No. 1 in E minor

Florence Price
By George Nelidoff – https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/digital/collection/p17212coll3/id/20/rec/31, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=130384162

Florence Price was a remarkable American composer, pianist, and teacher, born on April 9, 1887, in Little Rock, Arkansas. She became the first African-American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra. From a young age, Price showed incredible musical talent and attended the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano, organ, and composition, graduating with honours in 1906. Due to racial discrimination, she sometimes had to present herself as Mexican to secure performance opportunities in the segregated South.

In 1927, she moved to Chicago, joining a vibrant African-American cultural scene. Her Symphony in E minor won first prize in 1932, and the following year, it was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, marking a significant moment in music history. Over her lifetime, Price composed more than 300 works, blending classical European styles with African-American influences. After her music was overlooked for years, renewed interest emerged in the 21st century, especially after her manuscripts were discovered in 2009. Florence Price’s legacy as a pioneering composer continues to inspire many today.

9 March

March 9th: Samuel Barber

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America 20th Century, Adagio For Strings, March, Neo-Romantic, Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber 9 March 1910 – 23 January 1981

Adagio For Strings

Samuel Barber
By Carl Van Vechten – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs divisionunder the digital ID van.5a51697.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52003

Samuel Barber was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and teacher, celebrated for music that largely favoured lyricism, emotional directness, and traditional tonal craft at a time when many composers pursued more experimental modernism. His formative training came from composition study at the Curtis Institute of Music, notably with Rosario Scalero, and long mentorship from his uncle, the song composer Sidney Homer. After 1940, Barber absorbed some modernist elements, including sharper dissonance and occasional tonal ambiguity, while keeping his characteristic melodic voice.

He wrote outstanding music across orchestral, chamber, and vocal genres, but vocal music dominates his catalogue, rooted in his own early career as a professional baritone and his lifelong sensitivity to text and the singing line. His best-known piece is Adagio for Strings (1936), later adapted as the choral Agnus Dei (1967). Other staples include Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (1947) and the Violin Concerto (1939). Barber won the Pulitzer Prize for Music twice: for the opera Vanessa (1958) and for the Piano Concerto (1962). He died of cancer in 1981.

26 February

February 26th: Howard Hanson

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, North America, United States of America "Romantic", 20th Century, February, Howard Hanson, Neo-Romantic, Symphony No. 2

Howard Hanson 28 October 1896 – 26 February 1981

Symphony No. 2, "Romantic" Op. 30

Howard Hanson
By Unknown author – eBay (front & back), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84055899

Howard Harold Hanson was an influential American composer and educator, born on October 28, 1896, in Wahoo, Nebraska. His parents were Swedish immigrants, and he began studying music with his mother. Hanson attended Luther College and later the Institute of Musical Art, which became the Juilliard School. He earned his degree from Northwestern University in 1916. In 1924, he became the director of the Eastman School of Music, where he significantly enhanced the curriculum and promoted American classical music.

Hanson established the American Composers Orchestral Concerts and the Festivals of American Music, showcasing works by American composers. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944 for his Symphony No. 4 and received the George Foster Peabody Award in 1946. His compositions, including “Song of Democracy,” reflect his belief in emotional expression and the beauty of music. Hanson’s style is often associated with Neo-Romanticism, blending traditional and modern elements.

20 February

February 20th: Ruth Gipps

Thomas Pitts Composer Of The Day, England, Europe 20th Century, February, Female Composers, Knight in Armour, Neo-Romantic, Romantic, Ruth Gipps

Ruth Gipps 20 February 1921 – 23 February 1999

Knight in Armour Op. 8

Ruth Gipps
from https://www.malcolmarnoldsociety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ruth-Gipps.jpeg

Ruth Dorothy Louisa (“Wid”) Gipps MBE was an influential English composer, oboist, pianist, conductor, and educator. Born in 1921, she created a diverse range of music, including five symphonies and seven concertos. Gipps founded the London Repertoire Orchestra and the Chanticleer Orchestra, significantly impacting music education. She was awarded an MBE in 1981 for her contributions to music. From a young age, Gipps showed exceptional talent, performing publicly at just four years old. She studied at the Royal College of Music and later at Durham University, where she earned a doctorate in music. Gipps faced challenges in her career, including discrimination, which shaped her determination to succeed. She became a prominent figure in conducting, establishing orchestras that showcased new works. Gipps’ music is known for its rich instrumental colour and reflects influences from her teachers, including Vaughan Williams. Despite her achievements, her music was often overlooked in her lifetime. Gipps’ legacy continues to inspire future generations of musicians, particularly women in the arts, highlighting her role in advocating for female composers.