William Howard Schuman (August 4, 1910–February 15, 1992) was an American composer and music administrator. August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... February 15 is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ...

Life

Born in the Bronx in New York City to Samuel and Rachel Schuman, Schuman was named after the twenty-seventh U.S. president, William Howard Taft (although his family preferred to call him Bill). Schuman played the violin and banjo as a child, but his overwhelming passion was baseball. While still in high school, he formed a dance band, "Billy Schuman and his Alamo Society Orchestra", that played local weddings and bar mitzvahs (Schuman played string bass in the band). Housing projects in the infamous South Bronx area. ... New York, NY redirects here. ... William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, the 27th President of the United States, the 10th Chief Justice of the United States, a leader of the progressive conservative wing of the Republican Party in the early 20th century, a chaired professor at Yale Law... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... A four-string banjo For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African American origin. ...

In 1928 he entered New York University's School of Commerce to pursue a business degree, at the same time working for an advertising agency. He also wrote popular songs with E. B. Marks, Jr., a friend he had met long before at summer camp. About then Schuman met lyricist Frank Loesser and wrote some forty songs with him. (Indeed, Loesser's first published song, "In Love with a Memory of You", credits the music to William H. Schuman.) New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ... Image:FrankLoesser1. ...

On April 4, 1930, Schuman went with his older sister, Audrey, to a Carnegie Hall concert of the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The program included works by Wagner, Kodály, and Schumann. Of this experience, Schuman later said, "I was astounded at seeing the sea of stringed instruments, and everybody bowing together. The visual thing alone was astonishing. But the sound! I was overwhelmed. I had never heard anything like it. The very next day, I decided to become a composer." April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). ... Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street. ... The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States. ... Arturo Toscanini listening to playbacks at RCA Victor (BMG Music) Arturo Toscanini (March 25, 1867 – January 16, 1957) was an Italian musician. ... Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... Zoltán Kodály (IPA: ) (December 16, 1882 – March 6, 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist and philosopher. ... For others with the same name see Robert Schumann (disambiguation). ...

Schuman dropped out of school to study music, finding private tutors in classical composition. One of his teachers was Roy Harris. Harris brought Schuman to the attention of the conductor Serge Koussevitzky, who championed many of his works. For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Roy Ellsworth Harris (February 12, 1898 – October 1, 1979) was an American classical composer who wrote much music on American subjects and is perhaps best known for his . ... A conductor conducting a band at a ceremony A conductors score and batons Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 1943 he won the inaugural Pulitzer Prize for Music for his cantata, A Free Song, adapted from poems by Walt Whitman. From 1935 to 1945, he taught composition at Sarah Lawrence College. In 1945, he became president of the Juilliard School of Music, founding the Juilliard String Quartet while there. He left in 1961 to take up the directorship of Lincoln Center. The Pulitzer Prize for Music was first awarded in 1943. ... A cantata (Italian, sung) is a vocal composition accompanied by instruments and generally containing more than one movement. ... Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ... Sarah Lawrence College is a private, liberal arts college located in metropolitan New York City, about a thirty-minute train ride north of Manhattan. ... The Juilliard School is a performing arts conservatory in New York City, informally but definitively identified as simply Juilliard, and most famous for its musically-trained alumni. ... The Juilliard String Quartet is a classical music string quartet founded in 1946 at the Juilliard School in New York. ... The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. ...

He later became the president of the Juilliard School in New York, and wrote his famous Circus Overture.

Music

Schuman left a substantial body of work. His "eight symphonies, numbered Three through Ten", as he himself put it (the first two were withdrawn), continue to grow in stature. His concerto for violin (1947, rev. 1959) has been hailed as among his "most powerful works ... it could almost be considered a symphony for violin and orchestra." Other works include the New England Triptych (1956, based on melodies by William Billings), the American Festival Overture (1939), the ballets Undertow (1945) and Judith (1949) (the latter written for Martha Graham), the Mail Order Madrigals (1972) to texts from the 1897 Sears Roebuck catalog, and two operas, The Mighty Casey (1953, based on Ernest L. Thayer's Casey at the Bat), which reflected his lifelong love of baseball, and A Question of Taste (1989, after a short story by Roald Dahl). He also arranged Charles Ives' organ piece Variations on "America" for orchestra in 1963, in which version it is better known. Another popular work by William Schuman is his George Washington Bridge (1952), for concert band. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. ... New England Triptych is a symphonic composition by William Schuman. ... William Billings (October 7, 1746 - September 26, 1800), American choral composer, is regarded as the father of American choral music and hymnody. ... Ballet as musical form is a musical composition intended for ballet performance. ... Martha Graham and Bertram Ross in Visionary Recital, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1961 Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991), an American dancer and choreographer, is known as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance. ... Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger [1]. It was formed in 2005 with the purchase of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. ... This article is about opera as an art form. ... Ernest Lawrence Thayer (August 14, 1863 - August 21, 1940) was an American writer and poet who wrote Casey at the Bat. Thayer was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and raised in Worcester. ... Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a Norwegian novelist, short story author and screenwriter of Norwegian descent, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ... In music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet. ... Charles Edward Ives (October 20, 1874 – May 19, 1954) was an American composer of classical music. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the bridge in New York that crosses the Harlem River, see Washington Bridge. ...

Works

Opera

• The Mighty Casey (1953, based on Ernest L. Thayer's Casey at the Bat)
• A Question of Taste (1989, after a short story by Roald Dahl)

Ernest Lawrence Thayer (August 14, 1863 - August 21, 1940) was an American writer and poet who wrote Casey at the Bat. Thayer was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and raised in Worcester. ... Roald Dahl (IPA: ) (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a Norwegian novelist, short story author and screenwriter of Norwegian descent, famous as a writer for both children and adults. ...

Ballet

• Undertow (1945)
• Judith (1949, written for Martha Graham)

Martha Graham and Bertram Ross in Visionary Recital, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1961 Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991), an American dancer and choreographer, is known as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance. ...

Orchestral

• Symphonies
  • Symphony No. 1 (1935, withdrawn)
  • Symphony No. 2 (1937, withdrawn)
  • Symphony No. 3 (1941)
  • Symphony No. 4 (1942)
  • Symphony for Strings (Symphony No. 5) (1943)
  • Symphony No. 6 (1948)
  • Symphony No. 7 (1960)
  • Symphony No. 8 (1962)
  • Symphony No. 9 (1968)
  • Symphony No. 10 The American Muse (1975)
• American Festival Overture (1939)
• Credendum (1955, commissioned by UNESCO)
• New England Triptych (1956, based on melodies by William Billings)
• In Praise of Shahn (1969)
• American Hymn (1980)

New England Triptych is a symphonic composition by William Schuman. ... William Billings (October 7, 1746 - September 26, 1800), American choral composer, is regarded as the father of American choral music and hymnody. ...

Concertante

• Piano Concerto (1943)
• Violin Concerto (1947, rev. 1959)
• A Song of Orpheus, for cello and orchestra (1962)
• To Thee Old Cause, for oboe and orchestra (1968)
• Concerto on Old English Rounds, for viola, female chorus and orchestra (1974)
• Three Colloquies, for horn and orchestra (1979)

Vocal/Choral

• Three Carols of Death (1958, to texts by Walt Whitman)
• Mail Order Madrigals (1972, to texts from the 1897 Sears Roebuck catalog)
• Perceptions (1982, to texts by Walt Whitman)

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ... Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is the fourth largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, and Kroger [1]. It was formed in 2005 with the purchase of Sears, Roebuck, and Co. ... Walt Whitman Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. ...

Chamber/Instrumental

Band

Newsreel, in Five Shots (1941)

• George Washington Bridge (1950)

Chester Overture (1956) from New England Triptych For the bridge in New York that crosses the Harlem River, see Washington Bridge. ...

When Jesus Wept (1958) from New England Triptych

Philharmonic Fanfare (1965), unpubd [withdrawn]

Dedication Fanfare (1968)

Be Glad then, America (1975) from New England Triptych

Arrangements

• Variations on "America", for orchestra (1963, arranged from Ives' organ piece with the same name)

Trivia

William Schuman appeared as the opening guest on the CBS game show, What's My Line? on September 30, 1962 (episode #632). Because of his recognizability, panel members Dorothy Kilgallen, Martin Gabel, Arlene Francis, and Bennett Cerf were blindfolded. Schuman's title card identified him as "Composer and President of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (New York City)". Schuman displayed his wit in response to panel questions. After the panel exhausted a few categories, Kilgallen asked, "What about music?" Schuman replied, "What about it?" When asked if he was Leonard Bernstein, Schuman replied, "He's a friend." When asked if he was Rudolf Bing, Schuman repeated, "He's a friend," prompting Francis to wonder who was not his friend. When asked if he had ever sang for the Metropolitan Opera, Schuman said, "Often desired to, never invited." Cerf identified him after host John Charles Daly had flipped over all the cards. Daly announced that Schuman's Eighth Symphony would be performed at Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall) the following Thursday, which date, October 4, 1962, marked the première of the work. It was recorded for Columbia Masterworks Records five days later by its performers, the New York Philharmonic conducted by Bernstein. CBS is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. ... Whats My Line? was a weekly panel game show originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Dorothy Mae Kilgallen (July 3, 1913 - November 8, 1965) was an Irish-American actress, socialite, reporter and television presenter. ... Martin Gabel (born June 19, 1912 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died May 22, 1986 in New York, New York, USA from a heart attack) was an American actor, film director and film producer. ... Arlene Francis Arlene Francis was born Arlene Francis Kazanjian on October 20, 1907 in Boston, Massachusetts, of Armenian descent. ... Bennett Cerf on Whats My Line?, 1962 Bennett Alfred Cerf (May 25, 1898 - August 27, 1971) was a publisher and co-founder of Random House, also known for his own compilations of jokes and puns, for regular personal appearances lecturing across the United States, and for his television appearances... Leonard Bernstein (pronounced BERN-styne)[1] (August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, and pianist. ... Sir Rudolph Bing Sir Rudolph Bing (January 9, 1902 – September 2, 1997) was an Austrian-born operatic impresario. ... The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, seen from Lincoln Center Plaza A full house at the old Metropolitan Opera House, seen from the rear of the stage, at the Metropolitan Opera House for a concert by pianist Józef Hofmann, November 28, 1937. ... John Charles Daly on Whats My Line? John Charles Daly (full given name John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly, generally known as John Daly, February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991), a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, was a journalist, game show host, radio personality, actor, and author. ... , Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Columbia Masterworks Records is a subsidiary of Columbia Records. ... The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active symphony orchestra in the United States. ...

External links

• The William Schuman Music Trust
• William Schuman page at Presser Music