Leon Kirchner

Full biography Leon Kirchner

Leon Kirchner was an American composer of contemporary classical music who was born on January 24 , 1919, and passed away on September 17, 2009, at the age of 90. He was a student of Arnold Schoenberg, but he did not use the twelve-tone technique that was popular at the time. Instead, Kirchner developed his own unique sound that drew from a variety of sources, including jazz, blues, and atonal music.

Kirchner wrote primarily chamber music , but he also composed for orchestra and choir. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1967 for his String Quartet No. 3. The piece combines traditional instruments with electronic sounds, creating a groundbreaking and innovative sound.

Kirchner was also a respected teacher, and many of his students went on to have successful careers in music. He taught at Harvard University from 1961 to 1989, where he was a professor of music and served as the head of the composition department. During his tenure at Harvard, Kirchner played an instrumental role in reorienting the study and composition of contemporary classical music.

In addition to his musical career, Kirchner was also an adroit writer who inspired others to produce intriguing letters. He was widely regarded as one of the leading American composers of the 20th century, and his music continues to be performed and studied by musicians around the world.