Serge Tcherepnin

Full biography Serge Tcherepnin

Serge Tcherepnin was an American composer who was born in 1941 and passed away in 1998. He was the son of the renowned composer, pianist and conductor, Alexander Tcherepnin, and the grandson of Nicolai Tcherepnin.

Serge Tcherepnin started his musical career as a pianist, but soon began composing his own works. He studied music composition at the Juilliard School in New York City under Vincent Persichetti and Otto Luening. In addition, he also studied electronic music at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center under Vladimir Ussachevsky and Milton Babbitt.

Tcherepnin's music is eclectic, and defies categorization into a single genre. He is known for his innovative approach to music, blending elements of electronic sounds, modernist techniques and traditional orchestration. One of his most famous works is "Le Train Bleu," a ballet score composed in 1972 which features elements of jazz and orchestral music.

Tcherepnin was also involved in experimental sound art, creating installations that explored the relationship between music and sound. He has been cited as an influence on the New York "downtown" scene of the 1970s.

Despite a relatively short career, Tcherepnin's music has left a lasting impression on the world of contemporary music. He has been described as an "iconoclastic composer" who was not afraid to push the boundaries of conventional music.