Judith Dvorkin (22 April 1928 – 24 July 1995) was an American composer and librettist. She also used the pseudonym Judy Spencer. Dvorkin was born in New York. She received a bachelor's degree in music at Barnard College, where her teachers included Otto Luening. She received a master's degree from Columbia University, where her teachers included Luening, Douglas Moore, and Elliott Carter. She continued her studies in seminars with Roger Sessions at the University of California at Berkeley, and with jazz pianist Teddy Wilson. She wrote lyrics for 23 songs for the Captain Kangaroo television program, which Earl Rose set to music. Other collaborators included Norris Turney, Jimmy Rowles, Paul Rosner, and Dick Chodosh. Most of her manuscripts and papers are archived at the New York Public Library's American Music Center.

Works

Dvorkin is known for chamber opera and theater works, but also composed vocal and instrumental works. Selected works include: *''Humpty Dumpty'', 1988, opera based on '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' by Lewis Carroll *''Blue Star'', 1983, opera *'' The Capitoline Venus'', 1969, opera in one act after an episode in the writings of

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, libretto by Judith Dvorkin (music by Ulysses Kay). Premiered in March 1971 in Champaign-Urbana, IL by Richard Aslanian and the University of Illinois Opera Group. *''Marpessa: A Myth'', for soprano, clarinet and piano *''Cyrano'', based on the play by

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, as translated by E.W. Dvorkin ca. 1964 *''Maurice'' *''Perspectives'' for flute *''Song Cycle'' for choir *''Four Women'' for voice. Premiered April 1981 in New Canaan, CT, a song cycle written for Jacqueline Sharpe based on texts by Emily Dickinson, Eleanor Roosevelt,

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...

, and Zhuo Wenjun. *''The Children'' for bass, flute, oboe and violin *''Rumpelstiltskin'', a musical *''The Emperor's New Clothes'', one-act opera, composer Her work has been recorded and issued on CD, including: *''Maurice'', New World Records

References

1928 births 20th-century classical composers American women classical composers American classical composers American opera composers 1995 deaths American opera librettists Women opera librettists Pupils of Otto Luening Pupils of Elliott Carter Pupils of Roger Sessions Barnard College alumni University of California, Berkeley alumni 20th-century American writers Writers from New York (state) 20th-century American women writers Women opera composers 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from New York (state) 20th-century women composers {{US-composer-20thC-stub