Allen Shawn

Allen Shawn ( born 1948 ) is an American composer. He lives in Vermont.

Allen Shawn is the son of William Shawn, a former editor at the New Yorker. His brother is the actor and playwright Wallace Shawn. Earlier, he was associated with the writer Jamaica Kincaid.

He began at the age of ten years to compose and completed a study at Harvard as a bachelor's degree. He then studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, he obtained a Masters at Columbia University. From 1972 to 1985 he worked in New York as a pianist. Since 1985 he has taught at Bennington College composition teaching.

Among the available recordings of his compositions there are several CDs of chamber music, a CD of piano music and a recording of his composition Piano Concerto, played by Ursula Oppens with the Albany Symphony and conducted by David Alan Miller. Allen Shawn is also the author of a book on the Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg. It is titled " Arnold Schoenberg 's Journey ".