Elizabeth Bell (December 1, 1928 – December 19, 2016) was an American composer.

Life and education

Elizabeth Bell was born in Cincinnati in 1928. She was awarded her Bachelor of Arts degree in music from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial g ...

in 1950, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in composition from Juilliard in 1953. She studied under composers Peter Mennin and Vittorio Giannini at Julliard, and later with

Paul Alan Levi Paul Alan Levi (born June 30, 1941, in New York City) is an American composer whose compositions have been performed in Carnegie Hall, among other major venues in United States and Europe, as well as on national television. He is the composer of th ...

. From 1971 to 1975 Bell worked as the music critic of the Ithaca Journal in Ithaca, New York. Her music has been performed throughout the world. She was a founding member of New York Women Composers, Inc., and served on the Board of Governors of

American Composers Alliance The American Composers Alliance (ACA) is an American nonprofit composer service organization dedicated to the publishing and promoting of American contemporary classical music. Founded in 1937 by Aaron Copland, Milton Adolphus, Marion Bauer and oth ...

. Bell was also strongly involved with the International Alliance of Women in Music. Elizabeth Bell died on December 19, 2016, in Tarrytown, New York.

Family

Bell married astronomer and astrophysicist Frank Drake in 1952 and, with him, had three sons, though they

divorced Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving th ...

in 1976. In 1983 she married Robert E. Friou, with whom she would go on to found New York Women Composers, Inc. in the following year.

Awards and commissions

* 1986 First prize for ''Perne in a Gyre'' * 1996 Grand prize for ''Spectra'', Utah composers competition * 1994 Delius prize for ''Duovarios'', Jacksonville, Florida Bell has had numerous commissions including * The New York State Council on the Arts * The Bradshaw/Buono duo * The Inoue Chamber Ensemble * The North/South Consonance * The Putnam Valley Orchestra * The Vienna Modern Masters * Max Lifchitz Of an Eleanor Elkins recital Bell said: ''

"My piece, Night music, was something of a revelation. Max Lifchitz (who commissioned it) has played it numerous times, and recorded it on the Vienna Modern Masters label. His interpretation is brilliant and satisfying. Eleanor's was entirely different: also brilliant, but more sombre and angry, more suggestive of 'night music.' I like them both, and am delighted to have Ms. Elkins' interpretation on tape."

Works

* Andromeda (1993) * Arecibo Sonata (1968) * Concertino For Chamber Orchestra (2015) * Concerto For Orchestra (1976) * Duovarios (1987) * Fantasy-Sonata (1971) * Kaleidoscope – (1969) * Les Neiges D'antan – Sonata For Violin And Piano (1998) * Loss Songs (1983) * Millennium (1988) * Night Music (1990) * Perne In A Gyre (1984) * Rituals For Orchestra (1988) * River Fantasy (1991) * Second Sonata (1972) * Six Loss-Songs (1983) * Soliloquy For Solo Cello (1980) * Soliloquy For Solo Violin (1980) * Songs Of Here And Forever (1970) * Spectra (1989) * String Quartet #1 (1957) * Summer Suite (1982) * Symphony No. 1 (1971) * Variations & Interludes (1952)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Elizabeth 1928 births 2016 deaths American women classical composers American classical composers 20th-century classical composers Musicians from Cincinnati Wellesley College alumni Juilliard School alumni 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from Ohio 20th-century women composers 21st-century American women