Kevin Puts

Short bio Kevin Puts

Birthday: 1972 in St. Louis, MO

Active: 1990s - 2020s

Genre: Classical

Period: Contemporary

Full biography Kevin Puts

Kevin Puts is an award-winning American composer who has gained both national and international recognition for his works of classical music. He was born on January 3, 1972, in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Alma, Michigan. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and later pursued his Master of Music degree and Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Yale University.

Puts has composed numerous pieces of music, including operas, symphonies, and chamber music, which have been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and chamber ensembles. One of his most notable works is the opera Silent Night, which earned him the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2012. This work tells the story of a legendary Christmas truce that occurred during World War I and is based on the French film Joyeux Noël.

Puts has a reputation for writing music that is lush, expressive, and full of emotional intensity. His works often feature long, singing melodic lines that are supported by rich harmonic textures. He has a particular affinity for writing for women's voices, which he attributes to his love of literature by women authors like Virginia Woolf.

In addition to composing, Puts has also taught at several prestigious universities, including the Eastman School of Music and the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Rome Prize, the Barlow Prize, and the First Music Award.

Overall, Kevin Puts is a highly respected and accomplished composer whose work has made a significant impact on the classical music world. His music is known for its beauty, emotional depth, and inventive use of orchestration, and his contributions to the genre have cemented his legacy as one of America's leading composers.

Compositions featuring Kevin Puts

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Oboe Concerto No. 2 ("Moonlight")	22:31 min	Concerto	2018
2	The City, for orchestra	22:42 min	Orchestral	2016
3	Rounds for Robin, for flute & piano	4:16 min	Chamber Music	2015
4	In at the Eye, for baritone, flute, violin, cello & piano	15:18 min	Vocal Music	2015
5	Flute Concerto	24:18 min	Concerto	2013
6	Seven Seascapes, for flute, horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass & piano	18:14 min	Chamber Music	2013
7	To Touch the Sky, 9 songs for unaccompanied chorus on texts by women	24:56 min	Choral	2012
8	If I Were a Swan, for chorus	6:31 min	Choral	2012
9	Silent Night, opera	118:19 min	Opera	2011
10	Elegy for brass	4:09 min	Chamber Music	2009
11	Symphony No. 4 ("From Mission San Juan")	28:25 min	Symphony	2007
12	Credo, for string quartet	19:36 min	Chamber Music	2007
13	Quintet for piano, string trio & double bass ("The Red Snapper")	24:21 min	Chamber Music	2005
14	River's Rush, for orchestra	10:30 min	Orchestral	2004
15	Nocturnes (3) for clarinet, violin & piano	13:55 min	Chamber Music	2004
16	Airs (4), for flute, clarinet, violin, cello & piano	20:22 min	Chamber Music	2004
17	Traveller, for flute, violin, viola, cello & piano	6:20 min	Chamber Music	2003
18	Symphony No. 2	21:44 min	Symphony	2002
19	Inspiring Beethoven, for orchestra	11:23 min	Orchestral	2001
20	Millennium Canons, for orchestra	7:39 min	Orchestral	2001
21	Aria, for violin & piano	4:28 min	Chamber Music	2000
22	Dark Vigil, for string quartet	20:36 min	Chamber Music	1999
23	Ritual Protocol, for marimba & piano	12:44 min	Chamber Music	1998
24	Marimba Concerto	21:23 min	Concerto	1997
25	Network, for orchestra	6:47 min	Orchestral	1997
26	Alternating Current, for piano	16:31 min	Keyboard	1997
27	Simaku, for clarinet, violin, cello & piano	7:42 min	Chamber Music	1996
28	Canyon, for solo marimba	11:34 min	Chamber Music	1996
29	Lento Assai, for string quartet	12:46 min	Chamber Music	-
30	Home, for chorus & string quartet	6:37 min	Choral	-
31	Evening, for voice & piano	5:57 min	Vocal Music	-
32	Contact, for 2 violins, double bass & orchestra	29:22 min	Concerto	-
33	Bad Ass, for voice, string quartet & double bass (part of collaborative song cycle "Forgotten Voices")	1:52 min	Vocal Music	-
34	And Legions Will Rise, for clarinet, violin & marimba	16:15 min	Chamber Music	-

Albums featuring Kevin Puts

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Kevin Puts, Katherine Needleman, Ji Su Jung, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – The City • Marimba Concerto • Moonlight(CDr, Album)	2023	Naxos
2	Kevin Puts, Ned Rorem And James Scott Balentine – Love Comes In At The Eye(CD, Album)	2018	Albany Records
3	Kevin Puts, Adam Walker (6), Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – Symphony No. 2: Flute Concerto - River's Rush	2016	Naxos
4	Puts • Britten • Mahler • Bryant, The Ohio State University Wind Symphony, Russel C. Mikkelson – Network	2016	Naxos
5	Seascapes(CD, Stereo)	2015	BCMF Records
6	Kevin Puts, Conspirare, Craig Hella Johnson, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop – To Touch The Sky / If I Were A Swan / Symphony No. 4 "From Mission San Juan"(CD, Album)	2013	Harmonia Mundi
7	The Bay Brass, John Williams (4), Michael Tilson Thomas, Morten Lauridsen, Bruce Broughton, Kevin Puts, Scott Hiltzik – Sound The Bells! (American Premieres For Brass)(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel)	2011	Harmonia Mundi
8	Puts • Newman • Kuster • Mackey • Holst • Gorb • University Of Georgia Wind Ensemble • John P. Lynch – Millennium Canons (Looking Forward, Looking Back)(CD, Album)	2009	Naxos
9	The Ying Quartet, Kevin Puts, Michael Torke, Carter Pann, Paquito D'Rivera – The Ying Quartet Play LifeMusic(CD, Album)	2004	Quartz (5)