A point of encounter
1939—
Composer · Violinist
United States
20th century · 21st century
Overview
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich is an American composer whose musical training included both composition and violin performance. She studied at Florida State University and Juilliard and played in the American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski. In 1983 she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music, awarded for Symphony No. 1, also known as Three Movements for Orchestra. Her work encompasses symphonies, concertos and chamber music. In 1995 she became the first holder of Carnegie Hall’s Composer’s Chair, an appointment within a career spanning orchestral and smaller-scale instrumental writing.
[1][2][3]Cultural context
American orchestral, chamber and institutional musical life.
Musical Language
In her note on Symphony No. 1, Zwilich describes building a large work from a small body of initial material. Continuous variation is combined with recurring pitches and melodies and clear areas of contrast. The orchestra’s colors and the players’ abilities are part of that design, alongside the return and transformation of musical ideas.[4]
A point of encounter
A few paths into the music. Follow a recording, a score, or the composer’s catalogue.
01 / Recording
Follow how a small musical idea can generate a larger orchestral journey. The Pulitzer Prize page presents the winning work in a recording by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Nelson.
Explore the Pulitzer Prize recording — External website; opens in a new tabSelected works
1 / 1 · Selected Works — not a complete catalogue.
| Work | Year & catalogue | Forces & genre | Resources & verification |
|---|---|---|---|
Symphony No. 1 (Three Movements for Orchestra) | 1982 | Orchestra Symphony | Margun Music |
A dash indicates that a date has not been established in this selection. External resources may have access or regional conditions.
Research
Original editorial summaries, checked against the sources below. Linked catalogues and recordings remain with their publishers and archives.
Publisher
Theodore Presser — Ellen Taaffe Zwilich — External website; opens in a new tabPublisher
European American Music Distributors — Ellen Taaffe Zwilich biography — External website; opens in a new tabSpecialist resource
The Pulitzer Prizes — Ellen Taaffe Zwilich — External website; opens in a new tabPublisher
Wise Music Classical — Symphony No. 1 (Three Movements for Orchestra) — External website; opens in a new tabLast reviewed: