Top of page

Biography Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

Composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich was born in Miami, Florida, in 1939. She studied composition with John Boda and violin with Richard Burgin at Florida State University (M.M., 1962) before moving to New York, where she continued her violin studies with Ivan Galamian. She played with the American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski from 1965 to 1972 and then enrolled at the Juilliard School of Music, where she studied composition with Roger Sessions and Elliott Carter, and, in1975, became the first woman in Juilliard's history to graduate with a D.M.A. in composition. In the same year, Pierre Boulez, at that time the director of the New York Philharmonic, conducted her Symposium for Orchestra at Juilliard, an indication of the critical attention and acclaim that her compositions had begun to attract.

Zwilich matured into a prolific and sought-after composer, the recipient of commissions from ensembles and organizations from both the United States and abroad. Among her orchestral works are numerous concerti for an array of different instruments: piano; various woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments, solo or ensemble; and strings. Chamber works include Chamber Symphony, Passages, Piano Trio, Divertimento, Clarinet Quintet, Double Quartet, String Quartet no. 2, and Romance for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (also arranged for violin and piano), a work commissioned by the McKim Fund in the Library of Congress.

Zwilich has received many honors for her compositions, including the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Chamber Music Prize, the Arturo Toscanini Music Critics Award, an award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, the Ernst von Dohnányi Citation, and four Grammy nominations. She was named Composer of the Year in 1999 by Musical America and, in 1983, became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize in music, for her Symphony no. 1. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

Many of Zwilich's works have been issued as recordings; they are available on New World Records, Koch International, and other labels.

Discography

Einsame Nacht - song cycle for baritone and piano [1971]
John Ostendorf, baritone; Shirley Seguin, piano.
Leonarda Records LPI 120 (1984)
Leonarda LPI 3-4 (1988) ("Schicksal" and "Elizabeth" only)

Sonata in Three Movements - violin and piano [1973-74]
Joseph Zwilich, violin; James Gemmel, piano.
Cambridge CMS 2834 (1981)
CRI SD 526 (1987)
CRI SD 621 (1994)

Richard Young, violin; Maureen Wallace, piano
Library of Congress Concert 1983-06-28.
RWA 5886-5887

String Quartet 1974 [1974]
Boston Musica Viva, Richard Pittman, conductor.
Cambridge CMS 2834 (1981)
CRI SD 526 (1987)
CRI SD 621 (1994)

Clarino Quartet - four trumpets or four clarinets [1977]
Louis Ranger, David Flello, Christopher Lane, David Michaux - trumpets.
Crystal Records CD 669 (1996)

Chamber Symphony [1979]
Boston Musica Viva, Richard Pittman, conductor.
Cambridge CMS 2834 (1981)
CRI SD 526 (1987)
CRI SD 621 (1994)

Louisville Orchestra, Albert-George Schram, conductor.
First Edition Music FECD-0004 (2004)

Passages - Soprano and chamber orchestra [1981]
Janice Felty, mezzo-soprano; Boston Musica Viva, Richard Pittman, conductor
Northeastern Records NR 219 (1984)

Juanita Karpf, soprano; Lewis Nielson, conductor.
Aca Digital 20027 (1995)

Anne DeVries, soprano; Ensemble 21, Arthur Weisberg, conductor.
Summit DCD 173 (1995)

String Trio for Violin, Viola and Violoncello [1982]
Cirillo, Murdock, and Thomas.
Northeastern Records NR 218 (1984)

Symphony No.1, "Three Movements for Orchestra" [1982]
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, John Nelson, conductor.
New World NW 336 (1986)
New World 80336 (199?)

Fantasy - harpsichord [1983]
Anthony Newman, harpsichord.
Library of Congress Concert 1986-06-12.
RWB 3030-3031

Mark Kroll, harpsichord.
Albany Records TROY457 (2001)

Prologue and Variations - string orchestra [1983]
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, John Nelson, conductor.
New World NW 336 (1986)
New World 80336 (1992)

Metamorphosen, Scott Yoo, artistic director.
Albany Records TROY194 (1995)

Concerto for Trumpet and Five Players [1984]
Philip Smith, trumpet; New York Philharmonic Ensemble, Zubin Mehta, conductor.
New World NW 372 (1989)

Philip Smith, trumpet.
Summit 144 (1995) (Excerpt)

Celebration - orchestra [1984]
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, John Nelson, conductor.
New World NW 336 (1986)
New World 80336 (199?)

Double Quartet - for strings [1984]
New York Philharmonic Ensemble, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, conductor.
New World NW 372 (1989)

Guess What? For Guess Whom? - synthesizer [1985]
Variations on Happy Birthday for Nicolas [Slonimsky]
RYI 2705

Symphony No. 2, "Cello Symphony" [1985]
Louisville Orchestra, Lawrence Leighton Smith, conductor.
First Edition Records FECD-0004 (2004)

Concerto Grosso [1985]
New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, conductor.
New World NW 372 (1989)

Louisville Orchestra, James Sedares, conductor.
Koch International Classics 3-7278 (1995)

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra [1986]
Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Florida State University Symphony Orchestra, Michael Stern, conductor.
Koch International Classics KIC-CD-7537 (2002)

Thanksgiving Song - SATB chorus and piano [1986]
New York Concert Singers, Judith Clurman, conductor.
New World 80504 (1997)

Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello [1987]
Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.
Arabesque Records Z-6676 (1996)

Praeludium - organ [1987]
Barbara Harbach, organ.
Hester Park CD 7704 (1996)

Symbolon - orchestra [1988]
New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta, conductor.
New World NW 372 (1989)

Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra [1988]
Christian Lindberg, trombone; Malmo Symphony Orchestra, James DePriest, conductor.
BIS Records BIS-CD-628 (1993)

Concerto for Flute and Orchestra [1989]
Doriot Anthony Dwyer, flute; London Symphony Orchestra, James Sedares, conductor.
Koch International Classics 3-7142 (1992)

Concerto for Bass Trombone, Strings, Tympani and Cymbals
[1989]
Charles Vernon, bass trombone; University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Leon Gregorian, conductor.
Koch International Classics KIC-CD-7487 (2000)

Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra [1990]
John Mack, oboe; Louisville Orchestra, James Sedares, conductor.
Koch International Classics 3-7278 (1995)

Concerto for Violin, Violoncello and Orchestra [1991]
Jamie Laredo, violin; Sharon Robinson, cello; Florida State University Symphony Orchestra, Michael Stern, conductor.
Koch International Classics KIC-CD-7537 (2002)

Louisville Orchestra, Lawrence Leighton Smith, conductor.
First Edition Music FECD-0004 (2004)

Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra [1992]
Nancy Goeres, bassoon; Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Lorin Maazel, conductor.
New World 80503 (1996)

Symphony No. 3 [1992]
Louisville Orchestra, James Sedares, conductor.
Koch International Classics 3-7278 (1995)
Koch International Classics 3-7603 (1997) (Largo only)

New York Philharmonic, Jahja Ling, conductor.
New York Philharmonic Special Editions NYP 9914 (199?)

Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra [1993]
David Jolley, horn; University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Leon Gregorian, conductor.
Koch International Classics KIC-CD-7487 (2000)

Romance - violin and piano [1993]
Members of the Beaux Arts Trio.
JFK Terrace Theater 1996-03-06.
RGA 4943

Chee-Yun, violin; Akira Eguchi, piano.
Library of Congress Concert 1998-03-21.
RGA 4232

Beaux Arts Trio.
Library of Congress Concert 1998-04-09 and 1998-04-10.
RGA 4234, 4293

Jaime Laredo, violin; Reiko Uchida, piano.
Library of Congress Concert 2000-02-09.
RGA 6590

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano; Unknown, violin.
Library of Congress Concert 2002-04-16.
RGB 1252

A Simple Magnificat - SATB chorus and organ [1994]
New York Concert Singers, Judith Clurman, conductor.
New World 80504 (1997)

Triple Concerto - piano, violin, cello and orchestra [1995]
Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Jamie Laredo, violin; Sharon Robinson, cello; Florida State University Symphony Orchestra, Michael Stern, conductor.
Koch International Classics KIC-CD-7537 (2002)

Romance - violin and chamber orchestra [1996]
William Steck, violin; Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.
Library of Congress Concert 1997-11-12.
RGA 4193-4194

Symphony No. 4, "The Gardens" [1999]
University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, University of Michigan Chamber Choir, Leon Gregorian, conductor.
Koch International Classics KIC-CD-7487 (2000)


DISCLAIMER:

This discography was assembled using available catalog records, internet resources, discographies, and other works. Especially included are the performers' Library of Congress concert appearances, the recordings of which reside in the Library of Congress's Recorded Sound collections. Excluded are the numerous promotional and special market reissues of excerpts of complete recordings.

Although every attempt has been made to be comprehensive, some recordings may have inadvertently been missed. Please send any additions and corrections to https://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ask-perform.html.

While many of the recordings listed here are in the collections of the Library of Congress, not all are. If you have a question about specific recordings, please contact the Recorded Sound Reference Center at 202-707-7833. All recordings listed are protected by applicable Federal and State laws. The Library of Congress cannot provide copies of any of these recordings without proper permission from the copyright holder(s).