Lewis Spratlan

Short bio Lewis Spratlan

Birthday: 1940 in Miami, FL

Active: 1980s - 2020s

Genre: Classical

Period: 20th Century, Contemporary

Full biography Lewis Spratlan

Lewis Spratlan was an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was born on September 5, 1940, and passed away on February 9, 2023. Spratlan studied music at Yale University, where he was a student of Mel Powell and Gunther Schuller. He also taught at Amherst College for many years, where he inspired generations of young composers.

Spratlan's music has been widely performed and he has received numerous honors throughout his career. In 2000, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music for a concert version of Act Two of his opera "Life is a Dream". He also received the Charles Ives Opera Prize and Virgil Thomson Award in Vocal Music in 2016 for his opera "Mortgaging the Earth" with libretto by James Maraniss.

Spratlan's compositions are known for their complexity and use of atonality. He was a true artist who valued music for music's sake, free from any external ideological influences. In fact, he once stated that he considers himself free of any ideology beyond that which is contained by music itself, such as the laws of counterpoint and principles of movement.

Overall, Lewis Spratlan was a highly regarded and influential figure in contemporary classical music. His legacy lives on through his music and the many young composers he inspired through his teaching and mentorship.

Compositions featuring Lewis Spratlan

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Invasion, for piano, alto saxophone, horn, trombone, mandolin & percussion	12:27 min	Chamber Music	2022
2	Piano Sonatas (3)		Keyboard	2021
3	Piano Suite No. 1	14:08 min	Keyboard	2021
4	Rags (6) for piano	23:11 min	Keyboard	2018
5	Common Ground, for soprano, baritone, chorus & chamber orchestra	19:16 min	Choral	2016
6	Bangladesh, for piano	15:03 min	Keyboard	2015
7	Dreamworlds, for piano, 4 hands	17:32 min	Keyboard	2015
8	Vespers Cantata ("Hesperus is Phosphorus"), for soloists, chorus & ensemble	67:40 min	Choral	2012
9	Trio for clarinet, violin & piano	15:58 min	Chamber Music	2009
10	A Summer's Day, for orchestra	16:07 min	Orchestral	2008
11	Concerto for saxophone & orchestra	21:12 min	Concerto	2006
12	Shadow, for solo cello	26:05 min	Chamber Music	2006
13	Wonderer, for piano	20:59 min	Keyboard	2005
14	Streaming, quartet for piano & strings	16:20 min	Chamber Music	2004
15	Zoom, for Chamber Ensemble	15:32 min	Chamber Music	2003
16	Of Time and the Seasons, for Soprano & Chamber Ensemble	26:30 min	Vocal Music	2001
17	Concertino for Violin & Chamber Ensemble	17:41 min	Concerto	1995
18	In Memoriam, for 5 voices, chorus & orchestra	52:14 min	Choral	1993
19	Night Music, for violin, clarinet & percussion	10:19 min	Chamber Music	1990
20	Apollo and Daphne Variations, for orchestra	23:49 min	Orchestral	1987
21	When Crows Gather, for Chamber Ensemble	17:29 min	Chamber Music	1986
22	Je porte ma lanterne jolie, folk song arrangement	2:24 min	Vocal Music	-
23	Vocalise with Duck, song	4:48 min	Vocal Music	-
24	Architect, chamber opera	63:44 min	Opera	-

Albums featuring Lewis Spratlan

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Donald Wheelock, Lewis Spratlan, John LaMontaine, Daniel Asia, Matthew St. Laurent, David Sanford (3), Dana Muller, Gary Steigerwalt – In Your Head: New Music For Piano Four Hands(CD, Album)	2018	Navona Records
2	Lewis Spratlan - The Crossing (3), Network For New Music, Donald Nally – Hesperus Is Phosphorus(CD, )	2015	Innova Recordings
3	In Memoriam(CD, Enhanced)	2009	Navona Records
4	Lewis Spratlan, Sequitur – When Crows Gather and Other Works(CD, Stereo)	2005	Albany Records
5	Robert Stern / Lewis Spratlan / Francis Thorne – Carom For Orchestra And Magnetic Tape / Two Pieces For Orchestra / Fanfare, Fugue And Funk(LP)	1974	Opus One