Gitta Hana Steiner (April 17, 1932 – January 1, 1990) was a Czech-

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

composer and pianist who is best known for her works for percussion instruments. Steiner was born in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

to Erna Bondy and Erhard (Eric) Steiner. The family moved to New York in 1940, and became U.S. citizens in 1941. Steiner earned a B. Mus. and M.S. from the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

, where she received the

Abraham Ellstein Abraham "Abe" Ellstein ( yi, אַבֿרהם עלשטײן, , July 7, 1907 – March 22, 1963) was an American composer for Yiddish entertainments. Along with Shalom Secunda, Joseph Rumshinsky, and Alexander Olshanetsky, Ellstein was one of the "b ...

Scholarship. She was a fellow at the

Tanglewood Music Center The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops. The center operates as a part of the Tanglew ...

in 1967. Her teachers included

Elliott Carter Elliott Cook Carter Jr. (December 11, 1908 – November 5, 2012) was an American modernist composer. One of the most respected composers of the second half of the 20th century, he combined elements of European modernism and American "ultra- ...

Vincent Persichetti Vincent Ludwig Persichetti (June 6, 1915 – August 14, 1987) was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, he was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own wo ...

, and

Gunther Schuller Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician. Biography and works Early years Schuller was born in Queens, New York City, ...

. She taught piano and theory privately and at the

Brooklyn Conservatory of Music The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, known at one time as the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music, is a music conservatory located in Brooklyn, New York City. It offers a broad range of instruction in areas of American song, jazz and gospel sing ...

. Steiner received awards and honors which included the 1972 American Society of Composers and Publishers (

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

) Award, the Donell Library Composer’s Forum Honor, the Gretchaninoff Memorial Prize, and the

Marion Freschl Marion Freschl (née Szekely) (January 16, 1896 - November 23, 1984, New York City) was an American operatic contralto and voice teacher of Hungarian descent. A member of the voice faculties at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School ...

Award. Her music was published by Seesaw Music Corporation (today Subito Music Corporation).

References

1932 births 1990 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American women pianists American women classical composers American classical composers 20th-century American composers People from Douglaston–Little Neck, Queens 20th-century women composers Juilliard School alumni Tanglewood Music Center alumni ASCAP composers and authors American people of Czech descent Musicians from Prague {{US-composer-20thC-stub