Andrew Imbrie

Full biography Andrew Imbrie

Andrew Imbrie was an eminent American composer who was born on April 6, 1921, in New York City. He was a prominent figure in the Bay Area musical scene in California for many years. Imbrie showed an early interest in music, and he began studying piano at the age of six. Later, he studied composition at Princeton University with Roger Sessions, who had a profound influence on his musical style.

Imbrie's music is characterized by its complexity and dissonance, as well as by its emotional intensity. He wrote both vocal and instrumental music and composed two operas , Three Against Christmas in 1960 and Angle of Repose in 1976, as well as numerous orchestral and chamber works. His most notable composition is his Requiem, written in 1984 after the sudden death of his younger son John H. Imbrie.

Imbrie was the recipient of many awards and honors , including the prestigious Andrew Imbrie Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters , which is given annually to a composer of demonstrated artistic merit. He was also awarded commissions from organizations such as the Koussevitzky Foundation.

Imbrie was a professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley, for 30 years, where he taught composition and music theory. He passed away on December 5, 2007, at the age of 86. Imbrie's legacy lives on in his music and in the many talented composers he inspired and taught throughout his career.