Joseph Pehrson (August 14, 1950 – April 4, 2020) was an American
composer and
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
.
Life
Pehrson comes from
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, Michigan. He studied at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
and
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York. It was established in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman.
It offers Bachelor of Music ...
. (
D.M.A.
The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) is a doctoral academic degree in music. The DMA combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually music performance, music composition, or conducting) with graduate-level academic study in su ...
1981). His teachers include
Leslie Bassett
Leslie Raymond Bassett (22 January 1923 – 4 February 2016) was an American composer of classical music. Bassett received the 1966 Pulitzer Prize in Music. Bassett had a lifelong relationship with the University of Michigan School of Music. ...
,
Joseph Schwantner
Joseph Clyde Schwantner (born March 22, 1943, Chicago, Illinois) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer, educator and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 2002. He was awarded the 1970 Charles Ives Prize.
Schwantne ...
,
Otto Luening
Otto Clarence Luening (June 15, 1900 – September 2, 1996) was a German-American composer and conductor, and an early pioneer of tape music and electronic music.
Luening was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to German parents, Eugene, a conduct ...
and
Elie Siegmeister
Elie Siegmeister (also published under pseudonym L. E. Swift; January 15, 1909 in New York City – March 10, 1991 in Manhasset, New York) was an American composer, educator and author.
Early life and education
Elie Siegmeister was born January 15 ...
. From 1992 to 1993 he was composer-in-residence at the
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classifie ...
. Since 1983 he served as co-director of the
Composers Concordance in New York City.
[Europa Publications (2003). ''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2003''. London: Routledge. . pp. 602.] He mostly wrote pieces for orchestral and chamber music. His compositions have been performed at
Merkin Concert Hall
Merkin Hall is a 449-seat concert hall in Manhattan, New York City. The hall, named in honor of Hermann and Ursula Merkin, is part of the Kaufman Music Center, a complex that includes the Lucy Moses School, a community arts school, and the Speci ...
,
Carnegie Hall and
Symphony Space. Concerts were held in Eastern Europe and Russia. Recently, he was working with the German
Ensemble Sortisatio
Ensemble Sortisatio is a quartet (viola, oboe/cor anglais, bassoon and guitar) founded by violist Matthias Sannemüller in 1992 in Leipzig, Germany. Its members are mostly soloists at the MDR Symphony Orchestra. They have specialized in contempo ...
.
Further reading
* Europa Publications (2003). ''International Who's Who in Classical Music 2003''. London: Routledge. . pp. 602.
References
External links
Joseph Pehrson official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pehrson, Joseph
1950 births
Living people
20th-century classical composers
21st-century classical composers
American male classical composers
American classical composers
American classical pianists
Male classical pianists
American male pianists
University of Michigan alumni
Eastman School of Music alumni
Musicians from Detroit
21st-century American composers
20th-century American composers
20th-century American pianists
Classical musicians from Michigan
21st-century classical pianists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American pianists