David Diamond (composer)

David Leo Diamond ( born July 9, 1915 in Rochester, NY; † 13 June 2005 in Brighton, Monroe County) was an American composer.

Life

Diamond studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester with Bernard Rogers. He received further training at Roger Sessions in New York City, and he belongs to the large group of American composers who participated with Nadia Boulanger in Paris hours. From 1951 to 1953 he taught at the University of Rome and then lived as a freelance composer in Florence. In 1965 he was appointed professor at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. Later he taught - until 1997 - at the Juilliard School. His students included Eric Whitacre. In 2005, Diamond died at his home in Brighton ( Monroe County, New York) of heart failure.

Work

Diamond was honored with numerous awards ( including three Guggenheim Fellowships ) and is considered one of the preeminent American composers of his time. Numerous works have been premiered by Leonard Bernstein. His style is tonal, most easily understood and committed to a romantic -classical tradition. Passages reminiscent of Aaron Copland, sometimes without reaching Dmitri Shostakovich, whose tonal hardness.

Among the best known works Diamonds Rounds belongs ( 1944) for string orchestra. He also wrote 11 symphonies ( 1941-1993 ), concerts (including three violin concertos ), 10 string quartets (the last was in 1968 ), other chamber music, piano pieces and vocal music.