Ned Rorem won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for his orchestral suite, Air Music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ned Rorem has consistently championed tonality throughout his career, believing it is the only harmonic language that supports intelligibility and clarity.
Performer Biography
Fenwick Smith, the flutist on this album, retired from the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2006 after a 28-year career as second flute.
Composer Biography
Ned Rorem is renowned for his vocal music, with Time magazine calling him 'the world's best composer of art songs.'
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ned Rorem conceives all music vocally, stating that 'Whatever my music is written for - tuba, tambourine, tubular bells - it is always the singer within me crying to get out.'
Composer Biography
Ned Rorem is also a prolific writer, having published twelve books and numerous articles, advocating for composers in society's musical culture.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ned Rorem's music strives for clarity, influenced by his time in Paris and exposure to figures like Poulenc, Auric, and Cocteau, but with an 'American openness.'
