Jean Eichelberger Ivey

Full biography Jean Eichelberger Ivey

Jean Eichelberger Ivey (July 3 , 1923 - May 2, 2010) was an American composer, pianist, and founder of the Peabody Conservatory Electronic Music Studio. She was born in Washington, D.C. to Joseph S. Ivey and Edith Jean Miller Ivey. She received her Bachelor's degree in music from Wilson College in Pennsylvania, and her Master's degree from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester.

Throughout her career, Ivey produced an extensive and diverse catalog of music that includes solo , chamber, vocal, and electronic compositions. She was particularly interested in electronic and computer music, and founded the Peabody Conservatory Electronic Music Studio in 1967 , which was the first electronic music program at any American conservatory.

Ivey's music was often experimental and avant-garde , and she was attracted to dodecaphonic composition in the 1960s. Some of her notable compositions include "Toward the Sun," "Phoenix," and "Colors from a Chameleon's Skin." She was also known for her works for piano and tape, and voice and tape.

In addition to composing, Ivey was a respected pedagogue and taught at several institutions, including the Peabody Conservatory, Indiana University, the University of California, San Diego, and Xavier University in New Orleans.

Jean Eichelberger Ivey passed away on May 2, 2010, at the age of 86. Her contributions to the world of music, particularly in the fields of electronic and computer music, continue to be recognized and celebrated.