About this Artist

GEORGE CRUMB was born in Charleston, West Virginia in 1929. His principal teacher in composition was Ross Lee Finney at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the University from which Mr. Crumb received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree. George Crumb has been the recipient of numerous honors, awards and commissions, including the 1968 Pulitzer Prize, the 1971 International Rostrum of Composers (UNESCO) Award; Fromm, Guggenheim, Koussevitzky and Rockefeller Foundation Awards; and is a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. In 1995, Mr. Crumb became the 36th recipient of the MacDowell Medal, an award named in honor of the American composer, and is awarded to a composer, writer or visual artist who, in the judgement of his/her peers has made an outstanding contribution to the nation's culture. George Crumb has traveled frequently to Asia, Australia, and Europe, where both his orchestral and chamber music have been given numerous performances. Audience enthusiasm and consistent critical acclaim have been the norm for Mr. Crumb's work. Attributes of George Crumb's music which are frequently cited include the composer's extraordinarily sensitive ear for refined timbral nuance, his powerful evocative sense, and a sureness and conciseness in realizing his musical intentions. Among dozens of compact discs devoted to his music, Bridge Records has just released George Crumb: A 70th Birthday Album, which includes the premiere recording of the composer's magnum opus, Star-child and the composer's own performances on piano and percussion of Mundus Canis and Three Early Songs.