The Score | Happy Birthday, Joan Tower

Pioneering American composer Joan Tower turns 80 later this year, and in February the Boston Modern Orchestra Project marked that milestone by performing five of her orchestral works, with the composer in attendance. Artistic Director Gil Rose led BMOP in Tower’s Chamber Dance (2006) and Red Maple (2013), the latter for solo bassoon and orchestral strings, with guest bassoonist Adrian Morejon. Flutist Carol Wincenc joined BMOP for two works for flute and orchestra written for her: Rising (2009) and the Concerto for Flute (1989). The program culminated with Made in America (2004), commissioned by a consortium of orchestras, at least one from each of the 50 states. The work was part of Ford Made in America, a partnership program of the League of American Orchestras and Meet The Composer, made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund. In 2008, Leonard Slatkin and the Nashville Symphony recorded Made in America, which won Grammy awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, Best Classical Album, and Best Orchestral Performance. Widely regarded as one of today’s most important living American composers, she was the first woman to win the Grawemeyer Award, for Silver Ladders, written for the St. Louis Symphony during her 1985-88 residency there. She has also held composer residencies with the Orchestra of St, Luke’s and the Pittsburgh Symphony, and was pianist and founding member of the DaCapo Players, which commissioned and premiered many of her chamber works. Tower is currently Asher Edelman Professor of Music at Bard College, where she has taught since 1972.