Crumb, George, 1929-

Variant names

Hide Profile

George Crumb (b. Oct. 24, 1929, in Charleston, W.V.) is an American composer.

From the description of George Crumb papers, 1956-2011 (bulk 1965-2003). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 778991658

Composer.

From the description of Autograph note signed, dated : Philadelphia, to George Watras, 1979 Mar. 5. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270911566

American composer.

From the description of "VOX BALAENAE / FOR THREE MASKED PLAYERS / (Electric Flute, Electric Cello, Electric Piano / George Crumb." : autograph manuscript, 1971 June. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270562414

From the description of Adoration of the Magi, from A little suite for Christmas, A.D. 1979, for piano : musical quotation, 1982 Oct. 12. (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 34364298

Biographical Note

  • 1929, October 24: Born, Charleston, West Virginia, to musicians George Henry Crumb, Sr. and Vivian Crumb
  • circa 1939: Began composing works "somewhat in the style of Mozart"
  • 1944 - 1947 : Attended Charleston High School
  • 1948 - 1950 : Studied piano and composition at Mason College of Music, Charleston, W. Va.
  • 1949, May 21: Married Elizabeth May Brown
  • 1950: Daughter Elizabeth Ann Crumb born
  • 1951 - 1952 : Studied composition with Eugene Weigel at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
  • 1953 - 1959 : Studied composition with Ross Lee Finney at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Finney emphasized meticulous notation, a characteristic evident in Crumb's works. At Michigan, he was introduced to and inspired by the poetry of Federico García Lorca, whose texts become the source for many future compositions
  • 1955 - 1956 : Studied composition with Boris Blacher at the Berlin Hochschule für Musik on a Fulbright grant
  • 1959: Doctorate, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His dissertational submission, Variazioni, is not premiered until 1965 Taught piano and composition, University of Colorado, Boulder Met pianist David Burge and composed Five Pieces for Piano, a work that earned Crumb widespread praise
  • 1962: Son David Reed Crumb born
  • 1964 - 1965 : Began residency at the Buffalo Center for the Creative and Performing Arts
  • 1965: Moved to Media, Pennsylvania Son Peter Stanley Crumb born Premiere of Madrigals, Books I-II, commissioned by the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress
  • 1965 - 1997 : Professor, composition, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Penn.
  • 1967: Composed Echoes of Time and the River
  • 1968: Received Pulitzer Prize for Echoes of Time and the River
  • 1969, July 16 - 24 : Composed Night of the Four Moons, a work inspired by the Apollo 11 space flight
  • 1969: Completed Songs, Drones, and Refrains of Death, his first Lorca-inspired work that had been started in 1962
  • 1970, Oct. 23: Premiere of Black Angels by the Stanley Quartet at the University of Michigan
  • 1970, Oct. 31: Premiere of Ancient Voices of Children at the 14th Coolidge Festival of Chamber Music. The piece was commissioned by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation in the Library of Congress
  • 1972, Mar. 17: First performance of Vox Balaenae by the New York Camerata at the Library of Congress. The work contained masked performers and other theatrical elements similar to Lux Aeterna, composed the previous year
  • 1972 - 1979 : Composed Makrokosmos, a cycle of four works for amplified piano
  • 1977, May 5: New York Philharmonic premiere of Star-Child under Pierre Boulez
  • 1978: PBS broadcast of Robert Mugge's film, George Crumb: Voice of the Whale
  • 1984, June 7: New York Philharmonic premiere of tone-poem A Haunted Landscape under Arthur Wiesberg
  • 1986 Apr.: Served as the American representative at the Conference of the Union of Soviet Composers
  • 1988, Jan. 17: Zeitgeist is premiered at the Charles Ives Festival in Duisburg, Germany
  • 1997: Composed Mundis Canis, a work inspired by the personalities of the Crumb family dogs.
  • 1998: Mundis Canis premiered by guitarist David Starobin and Crumb himself on percussion
  • 2000: Star-Child, recorded for the first time on Bridge Records' Complete Crumb Edition, won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition
  • 2002 - 2007 : Composed the American Songbook, a cycle of six works for voice, percussion quartet, and amplified piano
  • 2011, Apr. 28: Thomas Hampson performed selections from the American Songbook at the Library of Congress

From the guide to the George Crumb Papers, 1956-2011, (bulk 1965-2003), (Music Division Library of Congress)

American composer.

From the description of "Music for a Summer Evening.", 1979 Mar. 5. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270919792

Epithet: composer

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000787.0x0000cd

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Crumb, George. "VOX BALAENAE / FOR THREE MASKED PLAYERS / (Electric Flute, Electric Cello, Electric Piano / George Crumb." : autograph manuscript, 1971 June. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Crumb, George. Adoration of the Magi, from A little suite for Christmas, A.D. 1979, for piano : musical quotation, 1982 Oct. 12. University of Michigan
creatorOf Crumb, George. Correspondence with Eugene Ormandy, 1974-1979. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Crumb, George. Autograph note signed, dated : Philadelphia, to George Watras, 1979 Mar. 5. Pierpont Morgan Library.
creatorOf Pre-Philharmonic Lecture Society, Inc. [New York Philharmonic pre-concert lecture series] [sound recordings] xxxx-xxxx Pre-Philharmonic Lecture Society, Inc. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Felton, Anthony. Chamber music [sound recording] University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Semans Library
referencedIn Atkins, Irene Kahn, 1922-. Major figures in American music [A-E] : [oral history]. Yale University Library
creatorOf Vol. iii A. Musical and written tributes; 1977 (ff. 1-11), 1987.ff. 20. British Library arrangement.includes:f. 1 Elliott Cook Carter, composer: Correspondence with M. Vyner of Elliott Cook Carter: 1977-1983: Partly signed. Partly copy.f. 2 Georg..., 1977 British Library
referencedIn Vincent Persichetti collection of noncommercial recordings, 1940-1987 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
creatorOf Haverlin, Carl, 1899-1985,. Rare books, letters, and documents, 1778-1985. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn John Taggart Papers, 1962-2002 University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
creatorOf Crumb, George. Makrokosmos III [music] : for 2 pianos, 2 percussion / George Crumb. Libraries Australia
referencedIn The Richard Donovan Papers, 1913-1971 (inclusive) Irving S. Gilmore Music Library
referencedIn Department of Music of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records, 1937-1983 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. University Archives and Records Service
referencedIn Gilbert Ross Papers, 1911-1975 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Crumb, George. Somebody got lost in a storm, [2006-2007]. Northwestern University
creatorOf Dean, Geoffrey (Geoffrey Warren). Geoffrey Dean, violoncello ; Nancy Johnston, piano [sound recording] University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Semans Library
referencedIn Correspondence concerning the 1982 exhibition, Contemporary American Composers, 1982 Jan. 30-1983 Mar. 14 The New York Public Library. Music Division.
creatorOf Zukofsky, Paul. Responses to questionnaire and drafts of summary for Perspectives of New Music forum on notation practice, 1966-1967. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Finney, Ross Lee, 1906-1997. Ross Lee Finney sound recording series, ca. 1982. Bentley Historical Library
referencedIn William Gedney Photographs and Writings, 1940s-1989 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
creatorOf Crumb, George. George Crumb papers, 1956-2011 (bulk 1965-2003). Library of Congress
creatorOf Yoo, Kyung (Kyung W.), 1989-. Performance hour [sound recording] University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Semans Library
creatorOf Crumb, George. Easter morning : Easter dawning? : a sketch page for Easter dawning : for carillon (1991) / George Crumb. Northwestern University
creatorOf George Crumb Papers, 1956-2011, (bulk 1965-2003) Library of Congress. Music Division
creatorOf Wood, Thor E. Correspondence concerning the 1982 exhibition, Contemporary American Composers, 1982 Jan. 30-1983 Mar. 14. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf MS Mus. 1693. Miscellaneous letters and music.ff. 206. Largest size 405 x 285mm., 1895-2008 British Library
creatorOf Crumb, George. Night music II : for violin and piano / George Crumb. University of Colorado, Boulder
creatorOf Crumb, George. Black angels (Images 1) : electric string quartet. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Ross, Gilbert, 1903-1993. Gilbert Ross papers, 1911-1975. Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Crumb, George. Five pieces for piano / George Crumb. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Philadelphia Orchestra. Transcription of WFLN radio broadcast [sound recording], 1973 January 25, 26, 27. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Coelho, Tadeu. Chamber music for flute, cello, and piano [sound recording] University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Semans Library
referencedIn Responses to questionnaire and drafts of summary for Perspectives of New Music forum on notation practice, 1966-1967 The New York Public Library. Music Division.
referencedIn Teresa Sterne Papers, 1913-1979 The New York Public Library. Music Division.
creatorOf Crumb, George, 1929-. "Music for a Summer Evening.", 1979 Mar. 5. Pierpont Morgan Library.
referencedIn The Moldenhauer Archives at Harvard University: Manuscript music compositions, 1880-1985. Houghton Library
referencedIn Alix Jeffry photographs Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Nicolas Slonimsky Collection, 1873-1997, (bulk 1920-1990) Library of Congress. Music Division
creatorOf Crumb, George. 11 [music] : litany of the galatic bells (Leo) / [George Crumb]. Libraries Australia
referencedIn University of Pennsylvania. Correspondence with Eugene Ormandy, 1947-1982. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Crumb, George. A sketch for A haunted landscape : for orchestra (1984) / George Crumb. Northwestern University
referencedIn The Moldenhauer Archives at Harvard University: Correspondence, literary manuscripts, sound recordings, and other material, 1873-2001. Houghton Library
referencedIn The Leonard Burkat Papers, 1943-1981 (inclusive) Irving S. Gilmore Music Library
creatorOf Townsend, Perry. The keyboard heard through twentieth century ears [sound recording] University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Semans Library
referencedIn University of Michigan. News and Information Services. Faculty and Staff Files, 1944-2005 (bulk 1960-1995) Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Ross, Gilbert, 1903-1993. Stanley Quartet commission papers, 1949-1970. University of Michigan
creatorOf Crumb, George. Vox balaenae : for three masked players / George Crumb. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Bernminger, Lois. person
correspondedWith Burge, David, 1930- person
correspondedWith Burge, David, 1930- person
associatedWith Burkat, Leonard, 1919-1992. person
associatedWith C.F. Peters Corporation, corporateBody
correspondedWith C.F. Peters (Firm) corporateBody
correspondedWith C.F. Peters (Firm) corporateBody
associatedWith Donovan, Richard, 1891-1970 person
associatedWith Finney, Ross Lee, 1906-1997. person
associatedWith Gedney, William, d. 1989 person
associatedWith Haverlin, Carl, 1899-1985, person
associatedWith Leonard Burkat person
associatedWith Moldenhauer, Hans person
correspondedWith Moldenhauer, Hans, collector. person
associatedWith Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Music Library. General Manuscript Collection. corporateBody
associatedWith Persichetti, Vincent, 1915-1987 person
associatedWith Philadelphia Orchestra. corporateBody
associatedWith Pre-Philharmonic Lecture Society, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Ross, Gilbert, 1903- person
associatedWith Ross, Gilbert, 1903-1993. person
correspondedWith Slonimsky, Nicolas, 1894-1995 person
associatedWith Slonimsky, Nicolas, 1894-1995 person
associatedWith Smalley, Roger, 1943- person
associatedWith Sterne, Teresa person
correspondedWith Taggart, John, 1942- person
associatedWith Townsend, Perry. person
associatedWith University of Michigan. News and Information Services. corporateBody
associatedWith University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dept. of Music. corporateBody
associatedWith University of Pennsylvania. corporateBody
associatedWith Watras, George, person
associatedWith Watras, George, person
associatedWith Wood, Thor E person
associatedWith Wood, Thor E. person
associatedWith Zukofsky, Paul person
associatedWith Zukofsky, Paul. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Subject
Carillon music
Chamber music
Composers
Composers
Music
Music
Musical sketches
Orchestral music
Piano music
Quartets (Electronic violins (2), electronic viola, electronic violoncello
Quartets (Pianos (2), percussion)
Trios (Piano, flute, violoncello)
Trios (Piano, flute, violoncello)
Violin and piano music
Vocal duets with instrumental ensemble
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1929-10-24

Americans

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pp9wrz

Ark ID: w6pp9wrz

SNAC ID: 85071490