Thursday (4/23) on his classical music news blog South Florida Classical Review, Lawrence A. Johnson writes, “The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music will turn 70 on April 30, a significant anniversary that most people would probably find difficult to believe. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich remains a strikingly youthful presence, with her sparkling blue eyes, ever-present smile and good cheer. … Her Fifth Symphony premiered at Carnegie Hall last October, conducted by James Conlon. Several new recordings of her music have been released or are in the pipeline. There are numerous performances across the country to mark the occasion, including Tuesday night when Zwilich’s new Septet will be unveiled at the 92nd Street Y by the Kalichstein Laredo Robinson Trio and the Miami String Quartet. The two ensembles will reprise the Septet on Wednesday before taking it to the Kennedy Center in Washington. … Zwilich has been remarkably prolific. She has written in all genres except opera, and created a significant, extensive body of work, averaging more than one new composition a year since she ‘started counting’ in 1971.”
Posted April 24, 2009
Photo Credit: Florida State University Photo Lab