Yehudi Wyner (born June 1, 1929, in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

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 ...

, conductor and music educator.

Life and career

Wyner, who grew up in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, was raised in a musical family. His father,

Lazar Weiner Lazar Weiner (October 24, 1897 in Cherkassy – January 10, 1982 in Flushing, Queens) was an Imperial Russian-born, American-naturalized composer of Yiddish song.Obituary ''Jewish folklore and ethnology newsletter'' American Folklore Society ...

, was an eminent composer of

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs ...

s. Wyner attended

Juilliard 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 elit ...

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

and

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, and was a student of

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ''Ne ...

and

Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter Ha ...

. He has written music in a variety of genres, including compositions for

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

chamber ensembles Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

, solo voice and solo instruments, as well as theatrical music and settings of the

Jewish liturgy Jewish liturgy is the customary public worship of Judaism. The liturgy may include responsive reading, songs, or music, as found in the Torah and Haftorah, the Amidah, piyyutim, and Psalms. Singing or reading the Psalms has a special role in th ...

. Among his best-known works are the ''Friday Evening Service'' (1963) and "Torah Service with Instruments" (1966) for

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

and

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

, and ''On This Most Voluptuous Night'' (1982) for

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

and chamber ensemble. Wyner taught for 14 years at Yale, where he was the head of the composition faculty. He also taught at

SUNY Purchase The State University of New York at Purchase (commonly Purchase College or SUNY Purchase) is a Public college, public Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Purchase, New York. It is one of 13 comprehensive colleges ...

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

Brandeis Brandeis is a surname. People *Antonietta Brandeis (1848–1926), Czech-born Italian painter *Brandeis Marshall, American data scientist * Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, Austrian artist and Holocaust victim * Irma Brandeis, American Dante scholar * Loui ...

and Harvard. In 2006, Wyner won the

Pulitzer Prize for Music The Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually in Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first given in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year, and this was eventually converted ...

for his

piano concerto A piano concerto is a type of concerto, a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for a piano player, which is typically accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuoso showpiec ...

'' Chiavi in Mano''.

Personal life

Wyner was married to Nancy Braverman (Wyner) from 1951 to 1966, with whom he had three children – Isaiah, Adam, and Cassia. He married

Susan Davenny-Wyner in 1967. He graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Selected works

*''Partita'' – for piano, (1952) *Concert duo for violin and piano (1956) *Serenade for flute, horn, trumpet, trombone, viola, cello, piano (1958) *"Torah Service with Instruments" (1966) *''The Mirror'' (1972–73) *''Intermedio'' – Lyric ballet for soprano and strings – October 1974 *''The Grass is High'' – for voice and piano (1979) *String quartet (1984–85) *''Composition'' for viola and piano (1987) *''Trapunto Junction'' for trumpet, French horn, trombone and percussion *''Amadeus' billiard'': for violin, viola, bass, bassoon and two horns (cf. Mozart—Divertimento no. 7, K. 205) (1991) *Prologue and narrative: for cello and orchestra (1994) *Horntrio (1997) *''The second madrigal'': Voices of women (1999) *Quartet for oboe and string trio (1999) *''Commedia'': for clarinet in B-flat and piano (2003) *'' Chiavi in Mano'' for piano and orchestra (2004) *''Give Thanks for All Things'' for orchestra and chorus (2010)

Degrees

, M.Mus. (1953) *

, M.A. (1952) *Yale University, B.Mus. (1951) *Yale University, B.A. (1950) *

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 ...

, Diploma (1946)

Awards

*Fellow,

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

(2008) *

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

in Music for "Piano Concerto: 'Chiavi in Mano'" (2006) *Member,

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

(2001–2002) * Elise L. Stoeger Prize,

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is an American organization dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music in New York City. It is the largest organization of its kind in the country for chamber music. CMS's home is ...

"for contributions to chamber music" (1997–1998) *Finalist, Pulitzer Prize in Music (1997–1998) * Naumburg Chair in Composition (1991) *

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

(1976–1977) *

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

grant (1976) *Brandeis University Creative Arts Award (1963) *

National Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

grant (1961) *Guggenheim Fellowship (1960) * A.E. Hertz Fellowship (1953) *

Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Prizes have been awarded annually since 1921, with a hiatus ...

Fellowship (1953–1956)

Notable students

Chester Biscardi Chester Biscardi (b. Kenosha, Wisconsin, Kenosha, Wisconsin, October 19, 1948; nicknamed Chet) is an Italian American composer and educator. He received a B.A. degree in English literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1970); he stu ...

Craig Walsh Craig Thomas Walsh (born April 11, 1971, in Somerville, New Jersey) is an American composer of acoustic and electronic music. Dr. Walsh studied at the Mannes School of Music (B.Mus.) and Brandeis University (M.F.A./ Ph.D.). Walsh's awards f ...

Partial discography

*YEHUDI WYNER: 'CHIAVI IN MANO,' OTHER WORKS. Robert Levin, pianist; Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Spano; other performers. Bridge 9282; CD,

References

Composer's homepageBiography
from the Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
Biography from Schirmer Inc. Associated Music PublishersFaculty profile from Brandeis University

External links

Hear Yehudi Wyner in concert
from WGBH Boston

December 19, 1994 {{DEFAULTSORT:Wyner, Yehudi 1929 births Living people American male classical composers American classical composers American classical pianists Male classical pianists American male pianists American male conductors (music) Canadian emigrants to the United States Jewish classical musicians Jewish American classical composers Musicians from Calgary Musicians from New York City Pulitzer Prize for Music winners Yale University faculty Harvard University faculty Brandeis University faculty Pupils of Paul Hindemith 20th-century American pianists Harvard University alumni Yale University alumni 20th-century American conductors (music) 21st-century American conductors (music) Presidents of the American Academy of Arts and Letters