Seymour Shifrin

Full biography Seymour Shifrin

Seymour Shifrin was an American composer and teacher who was born in 1926. He was known for his high chromatic consistency and finely delineated contrapuntal writing style. Shifrin wrote music for various ensembles, including orchestra, chamber groups, and choral groups.

He studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and then went on to earn his Master’s degree and Doctorate at Yale University, where he also taught composition for many years. Some of his notable students include Jonathan Kramer and Elaine Barkin.

Shifrin's compositions were highly regarded by his contemporaries and critics alike. His works have been performed by many prestigious ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, among others.

Some of Shifrin's most famous compositions include his Odes of Shang, which is a setting of two poems by Ezra Pound, and his In the Nick of Time, which was requested by the Boston Pops Orchestra and has been performed by many other orchestras around the world.

Seymour Shifrin passed away in 1979, but his legacy as a composer and educator lives on. Many of his compositions are still performed and studied today, and his contributions to the world of music are widely recognized and celebrated.