Life

Biography

Chronology

Chronology

1934

Born March 2 in Sheffield, England, U.K.

1940-1952

Studied piano, organ, counterpoint and harmony with private teachers.

1952

Entered the University of Wales to study music, philosophy, English and Celtic literatures.

1958-1960

Composition studies in Italy with Roman Vlad (1958­59) in Rome; and Luigi Dallapiccola (1959­60) in Florence.

1960-1965

Professor of Composition at the University of Wales.

1962-1963

Further studies in Italy with Luciano Berio.

1963

First publications by UE Vienna and London.

1963

Darmstadt Festival Premiere of Actions for Six by Kranischsteiner Ensemble, conducted by Bruno Maderna.

1963-1965

Studies at the Ferienkurse für Neue Musik, Darmstadt, with Bruno Maderna and Pierre Boulez.

1965

Darmstadt Festival Premiere of Espressione IV by Aloys and Alfons Kontarsky.

1966

Premiere of Formants I (Les Gestes) — now titled Memo 3 — by Francis Pierre, harp, at the Royan Festival, France.

1966-1968

Harkness International Fellowship in the United States. Composer-in-Residence for one year at Princeton University and for one year at University of Illinois, Urbana.

1969-1975

Professor of Composition at York University, England.

1969-1975

During this time, several works were commissioned by the British Broadcasting Corporation and premiered by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez:

Mésalliance for piano and orchestra

Wildtrack 1 for orchestra

Wildtrack 2 for soprano and orchestra

Aum for harp and orchestra

1970-1971

Creative Arts Fellow, Bresenose College, Oxford University.

1972

Metalepsis II for mezzo-soprano, six voices and 11 instruments premiered in London by Cathy Berberian, London Sinfonietta, conducted by Luciano Berio.

1975

Emigrated to the United States. Became Professor of Composition at the University of California from 1975 to 1985. Founder and Music Director of SONOR (1976­81). Guest conductor of orchestras and ensembles in many countries.

1977

Madrigali for chamber orchestra, commissioned and premiered by the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, DC, conducted by Rafael Druian.

1978-1979

Co-director of the Aspen Music Festival and School Composition Seminar.

1980

Canti Lunatici for Soprano and Ensemble premiered by Carol Plantamura and SONOR, conducted by the composer.

1981

Canti Lunatici for Soprano and Orchestra premiered by Dorothy Dorow, BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the composer.

1983

Became a US citizen.

1983

Canti del Sole for Tenor and ensemble premiered by Paul Sperry and SONOR, conducted by the composer.

1983

Canti del Sole for Tenor and orchestra premiered by Paul Sperry and the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta.

1984

Canti del Sole awarded the 1984 Pulitzer Prize.

1985

Le Tambourin Suites for orchestra awarded Friedheim 1st Prize, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC.

1989

Ceremonial 2 for Orchestra commissioned by and premiered at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

1989-1996

Composer-in-Residence with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

1989-2005

Walter Bigelow Rosen Professor of Music at Harvard University.

1990

Bells for large chorus and orchestra commissioned and premiered by Northeastern Philharmonic, Pennsylvania.

1990

"...body and shadow..." for orchestra commissioned and premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa.

1991

Ceremonial III for orchestra commissioned by Carnegie Hall for its 100th anniversary. Premiered by Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Muti.

1992

Tre Canzoni Senza Parole commissioned and premiered by Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by the composer.

1993

Canti dell'Eclisse for Bass voice and orchestra commissioned and premiered by Thomas Paul and the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Schwarz.

1993

"where the murmurs die..." commissioned and premiered by New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

1995

Symphony commissioned and premiered by Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.

1995

Canzoni per orchestra commissioned and premiered by Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Wolfgang Sawalisch.

1995

Trio commissioned and premiered by Chicago Symphony Orchestra (for Boulez 70th birthday celebration.)

1995

Interludium for chorus and orchestra commissioned by the Internationale Bach Akademie, Stuttgart and premiered by the Israel Philharmonic, conducted by Helmut Rilling.

1997

Cello Concerto No. 1 commissioned for and premiered by Mstislav Rostropovich and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa.

1999

Chamber opera, Belladonna, commissioned and premiered by the Aspen Music Festival, conducted by David Zinman.

2000

Canti d'Amor for chamber chorus commissioned, premiered and recorded by Chanticleer; wins a Grammy Award.

2004

apókryphos for soprano, large chorus and orchestra commissioned and premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

2004

Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

2006

Walcott Songs for Mezzo-soprano and cello, premiered at the Tanglewood Music Festival.

2006

"now again" — fragments from Sappho commissioned and premiered by the Network for New Music, Philadelphia.

2007

12 Preludes for piano commissioned by the Ruhr International Piano Festival and premiered by Robert Levin at the Essen Festival.

2008

"chains like the sea" commissioned and premiered by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Lorin Maazel.

2010

Jonathan Biss premieres Three Pieces for Piano in Mainz, Germany on December 3 and performs the piece on tours throughout the US and Europe, which includes its Carnege Hall debut on January 21, 2011.

2011

Vincent, an opera in two acts commissioned by Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, scheduled world premiere on April 8 in Bloomington, IN, conducted by Arthur Fagen.

2011

Danza Petrificada commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and premiered by them in May, conducted by Riccardo Muti, followed by performances during the orchestra's summer tour in Salzburg, Lucerne, Luxembourg, Paris and Vienna.