John Harris Harbison (born December 20, 1938) is an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and academic.

Life

John Harris Harbison was born on December 20, 1938, in

Orange, New Jersey The City of Orange (known simply as Orange) is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 34,447, an increase o ...

, to the historian Elmore Harris Harbison and Janet German Harbison. The Harbisons were a musical family; Elmore had studied composition in his youth and Janet wrote songs. Harbison's sisters Helen and Margaret were musicians as well. He won the prestigious

BMI Foundation The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1985 by executives of Broadcast Music Incorporated for the purpose of "encouraging the creation, performance and study of music through awards, scholarships, internships, grants, and ...

's Student Composer Awards for composition at the age of 16 in 1954. He studied music at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

(BA 1960), where he sang with the

Harvard Glee Club The Harvard Glee Club (Glee Club or HGC) is a 60-voice, Tenor-Bass choral ensemble at Harvard University. Founded in 1858 in the tradition of English and American glee clubs, it is the oldest collegiate chorus in the United States. The Glee Club ...

, and later at the Berlin Musikhochschule and at

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

(MFA 1963). He is an

Institute Professor An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

of music at the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

. He is a former student of

Walter Piston Walter Hamor Piston, Jr. (January 20, 1894 – November 12, 1976), was an American composer of classical music, music theorist, and professor of music at Harvard University. Life Piston was born in Rockland, Maine at 15 Ocean Street to Walter ...

and

Roger Sessions Roger Huntington Sessions (December 28, 1896March 16, 1985) was an American composer, teacher, and writer on music. He had started his career writing in a neoclassical style, but gradually moved towards complex harmonies and postromanticism, a ...

. His works include several symphonies, string quartets, and concerti for violin, viola, and double bass. Harbison won the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

for music in 1987 for '' The Flight into Egypt'', and in 1989 he received a $305,000

MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and colloquially called the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the MacArthur Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to typically between 20 and ...

. In 1998, he received the 4th annual

Heinz Award The Heinz Awards are individual achievement honors given annually by the Heinz Foundations, Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards each year recognize outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in three areas: the Arts, the Eco ...

in the Arts and Humanities. He was awarded the Harvard Arts Medal in 2000. In 2006, a recording of his ''Mottetti di Montale'' was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category. The

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

commissioned Harbison's ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...

'' to celebrate

James Levine James Lawrence Levine ( ; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March ...

's 25th anniversary with the company. The opera premiered on December 20, 1999, conducted by Levine, with

Jerry Hadley Jerry Hadley (June 16, 1952 – July 18, 2007) was an American operatic tenor. He received three Grammy Awards for his vocal performances in the recordings of ''Jenůfa'' (2004 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording), ''Susannah'' (1995 Grammy Awar ...

Dawn Upshaw Dawn Upshaw (born July 17, 1960) is an American soprano. She is the recipient of several Grammy Awards and has released a number of Edison Award-winning discs; she performs both opera and art song, and her repertoire spans Baroque to contempo ...

Susan Graham Susan Graham (born July 23, 1960) is an American mezzo-soprano. Life and career Susan Graham was born in Roswell, New Mexico on July 23, 1960. Raised in Midland, Texas, Graham is a graduate of Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of ...

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (March 1, 1954 – July 3, 2006) was an American mezzo-soprano. She was noted for her performances of both Baroque era and contemporary works. Her career path to becoming a singer was unconventional – formerly a pro ...

, Mark Baker,

Dwayne Croft Dwayne Croft is an American baritone who has sung in more than 500 performances in 38 roles at the Metropolitan Opera. He won the Richard Tucker Award in 1996. He created the role of Nick Carraway in John Harbison's ''The Great Gatsby'' in 1999, ...

, and Richard Paul Fink among the cast. In 1991, Harbison was the music director of the

Ojai Music Festival The Ojai Music Festival is an annual classical music festival in the United States. Held in Ojai, California (75 miles northwest of Los Angeles), for four days every June, the festival presents music, symposia, and educational programs emphasizi ...

in conjunction with

Peter Maxwell Davies Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (8 September 1934 – 14 March 2016) was an English composer and conductor, who in 2004 was made Master of the Queen's Music. As a student at both the University of Manchester and the Royal Manchester College of Music ...

. He has served as principal guest conductor for

Emmanuel Music Emmanuel Music is a Boston-based collective group of singers and instrumentalists founded in 1970 by Craig Smith. It was created specifically to perform the complete cycle of over 200 sacred cantatas of J. S. Bach in the liturgical setting for wh ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. After founding director Craig Smith's death in 2007, Harbison was named acting artistic director. Harbison and his wife, Rose Mary Harbison, a violinist, ran the Token Creek Chamber Music Festival from 1989 to 2022.

Partial discography

*''

Mirabai Meera, better known as Mirabai, and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. She is mentioned in '' Bhaktama ...

Songs / Variations'' (1987). Northeastern Records NR 230-CD. Performed by Janice Felty, mezzo-soprano, Collage New Music Ensemble, conducted by John Harbison — Rose Mary Harbison, violin; David Satz, clarinet;

Ursula Oppens Ursula Oppens (born February 2, 1944) is an American classical concert pianist and educator. She has received five Grammy Award nominations. Biography Ursula Oppens was born on February 2, 1944, in New York City into a highly musical family fr ...

, piano. Tracks 1-6: ''Mirabai Songs'', text from ''Mirabai Versions'' by

Robert Bly Robert Elwood Bly (December 23, 1926 – November 21, 2021) was an American poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His best-known prose book is '' Iron John: A Book About Men'' (1990), which spent 62 weeks on ...

. Tracks 7-10: ''Variations'', for violin, clarinet, and piano. Track listing: #I. It's True, I Went to the Market #II. All I Was Doing Was Breathing #III. Why Mira Can't Go Back to Her Old House #IV. Where Did You Go? #V. The Clouds #VI. Don't Go, Don't Go #Variations i–v #Variations vi–x #Variations xi–xv #Finale and Epilogue *''The Flight into Egypt and other works by John Harbison'' (1990).

New World Records New World Records is a record label that was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to celebrate America's bicentennial (1976) by producing a 100-LP anthology, with American music from many genres.Cantata Singers and Ensemble The Cantata Singers and Ensemble is a choir and orchestral ensemble located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1964 to perform and preserve the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach (a body of works largely unknown in Boston at that time), the gro ...

, The Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group, and The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Conducted by David Hoose, John Harbison, and

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

. Tracks: #'' The Flight into Egypt'', text from the King James translation of the story of the

Flight into Egypt The flight into Egypt is a story recounted in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 2:13–Matthew 2:23, 23) and in New Testament apocrypha. Soon after the Biblical Magi, visit by the Magi, an angel appeared to Saint Joseph, Joseph in a dream telling ...

in the

Gospel of Matthew The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament of the Bible and one of the three synoptic Gospels. It tells the story of who the author believes is Israel's messiah (Christ (title), Christ), Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, his res ...

#''The Natural World'': Prelude #Where We Must Look for Help, text from

#On the Road Home, text from

Wallace Stevens Wallace Stevens (October 2, 1879 – August 2, 1955) was an American modernist poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, educated at Harvard and then New York Law School, and spent most of his life working as an executive for an insurance compa ...

#Milkweed, text from James Wright #''Concerto for Double Brass Choir and Orchestra'': I. Invention on a Motif: Tempo giusto #II. Invention on a Chord: Cantabile #III. Invention on a Cadence: Molto allegro *''At First Light'' (1998). Archetype Records 60106. Performed by

Lorraine Hunt Lorraine T. Hunt (born March 11, 1939) is an American businesswoman, former politician and entertainer who served as the 32nd lieutenant governor of Nevada from 1999 to 2007. Hunt was elected to the Clark County Commission (Nevada), Clark Coun ...

, mezzo-soprano,

, soprano, Greenleaf Chamber Players, and Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Scott Yoo. Tracks: #''Due Libri dei Mottetti di Montale'' #''Snow Country'' #''Chorale Cantata'' #''Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet, and Strings'' *''John Harbison: Ulysses' Bow / Samuel Chapter'' (2004). First Edition ASIN: B0002RQ35C. Tracks: #''Ulysses' Bow'' ballet performed by

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra is resident at Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Since 2008, the orchestra's music director is Manfred Ho ...

and conducted by

#''Samuel Chapter'' performed by Susan Larson (soprano) and conducted by John Harbison *''The Reawakening'', String Quartet No. 3, ''Fantasia on a Ground'', ''Thanks Victor'' (2001). Musica Omnia om0110. Lydian String Quartet, Dominique Labelle, soprano. *World Premiere Recordings: Violin Concerto, Recordare, Seven Motets (1997). Koch 3-7310-2-H1. Emmanuel Music, Craig Smith, conductor, Rose-Mary Harbison, violin. *Sessions: Symphony No. 2; Harbison: Symphony No. 2, Oboe Concerto (1994). London 443 376-2. San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt, conductor, William Bennet, oboe. *String Quartet No.1/String Quartet No. 2/''November 19, 1828'' (1992). Lydian String Quartet, Yehudi Wyner, piano. *''Simple Daylight''/''Words from Patterson''/Piano Quintet, (1999). Electra Nonesuch 79189-2. Boston Symphony Chamber Players, Gilbert Kalish, piano, Sanford Sylvan, baritone, Dawn Upshaw, soprano. *''Four Psalms''/''Emerson'' (2004). New World Records 80613-2. Cantata Singers and Ensemble, David Hoose, conductor. *''Mottetti di Montale'' (2005). Koch KIC-CD-7545. Collage New Music; David Hoose, music director; Janice Felty and Margaret Lattimore, mezzo-sopranos. * ''Four Songs of Solitude/Variations/Twilight Music'' (2003) Naxos. Daniel Blumenthal, Jannine Jansen, Lars Wouters van der Oudenweijer, Bernhard Krug, Spectrum Concerts Berlin.

Works

Operas

*''Full Moon in March'' (1977) – chamber opera *''Winter's Tale'' (1979) – based on the play by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

*''

'' (1999) – based on the 1925 novel by

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940), widely known simply as Scott Fitzgerald, was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and exces ...

, commissioned by the

Ballet

*''Ulysses'' (1983)

Orchestral

* Incidental Music from ''The Merchant of Venice'' (1971), for string orchestra * ''Elegiac Songs'' (1974), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation * ''Diotima'' (1976) *:commissioned by the Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

*Piano Concerto (1978), for piano and chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the

American Composers Orchestra The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is an American orchestra administratively based in New York City, specialising in contemporary American music. The ACO gives concerts at various concert venues in New York City, including: * Zankel Hall at ...

for Robert Miller *''Snow Country'' (1979), for oboe and string orchestra *:commissioned by Dr. Maurice Pechet, New England arts patron *Violin Concerto (1978–80), for violin and chamber orchestra *:written for Rose Mary Harbison * Symphony No. 1 (1981) *:commissioned by the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five (orchestras), Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in ...

*Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet and String Orchestra (1985) *:commissioned by the National Endowment of the Arts for the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, the International Chamber Soloists, the Wall Street Chamber Players, the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts, the Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. *''Remembering Gatsby'' (1985) *:commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra *Symphony No. 2 (Harbison), Symphony No. 2 (1987) *:commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony in celebration of the orchestra's seventy-fifth anniversary season *Concerto for Double Brass Choir and Orchestra (1988), for twelve brass soli and chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic *Viola Concerto (Harbison), Viola Concerto (1988), for viola and orchestra *:commissioned by the New Jersey Symphony *Symphony No. 3 (Harbison), Symphony No. 3 (1990) *:commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra *''David's Fascinating Rhythm Method'' (1991), for chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra *''Three City Blocks'' (1991), for concert band *:commissioned by the concert bands of the New England Conservatory, University of Cincinnati, Florida State University, U.S. Air Force, Ohio State University, University of Michigan and University of Southern California. *Oboe Concerto (Harbison), Oboe Concerto (1991), for oboe and orchestra *:commissioned by the San Francisco Symphony *Cello Concerto (1993), for cello and orchestra *:commissioned by Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra *''The Most Often Used Chords'' (1993), for chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra *Flute Concerto (1994), for flute and orchestra *:commissioned by Ransom Wilson and the

*''Olympic Dances'' (1996), for concert band *:commissioned by the College Band Directors National Association * ''Partita'' (2001) *:commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra *Symphony No. 4 (Harbison), Symphony No. 4 (2003) *:commissioned by the Seattle Symphony *''Crane Sightings'' (2004), for violin and string orchestra *:written for Rose Mary Harbison, the composer's wife *''Darkbloom: Overture for an Imagined Opera'' (2004) *:commissioned by the

*''Canonical American Songbook'' (2005) *:commissioned by the Albany Symphony Orchestra *Concerto for Bass Viol (2005), for double bass and chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the International Society of Bassists *''Milosz Songs'' (2006), for soprano and orchestra *:commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for

*''Rubies (after Thelonius Monk's "Ruby, My Dear")'' (2006) *:commissioned by Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony *''The Great Gatsby – Suite'' (2007) *:commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival and School *Symphony No. 5 (Harbison), Symphony No. 5 (2007), for mezzo-soprano, baritone soli and orchestra *:commissioned by the

*''Mary Lou (Four Symphonic Memories of Mary Lou Williams)'' (2008) *:commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony *Double Concerto (Harbison), Double Concerto for Violin and Cello (2009), for violin, cello and orchestra *:commissioned by the Friends of the Dresden Music Foundation for the

*''Closer to My Own Life'' (2011), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra *Symphony No. 6 (Harbison), Symphony No. 6 (2011), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra *:commissioned by

and the

*''Crossroads'' (2012), for soprano/mezzo-soprano, oboe and string orchestra ''or'' oboe, two violins, viola, cello and double bass *''Koussevitzky Said'' (2012), for S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra *''What Do We Make of Bach?'' (2018), for organ obbligato and orchestra *:commissioned by Minnesota Orchestra, Seattle Symphony and Northrop Auditorium, Northrop at the University of Minnesota

Choral

*''In Spiritu: Prayer'' (1955), for a cappella male-voice choir *''Ave Maria'' (1959), for a cappella S.S.A.A. choir *''He Shall Not Cry'' (1959), for S.A. choir and organ *''Five Songs of Experience'' (1971), for S.A.T.B. choir, two percussion and string quartet *:commissioned by the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston for the Cantata Singers *''Music When Soft Voices Die'' (1966), for S.A.T.B. choir and harpsichord ''or'' organ *:commissioned by the Cantata Singers *''Nunc Dimittis'' (1975), for T.B. choir and piano *:commissioned by the

*''The Flower-Fed Buffaloes'' (1976), for baritone solo, S.S.A.T.B.B. choir and instrumental ensemble *:commissioned by the New York State Bar Association *'' The Flight into Egypt'' (1986), for soprano, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir and chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the Cantata Singers *''Two Emmanuel Motets'' (1990), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *:commissioned by the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston *''Ave Verum Corpus'' (1991), for a cappella S.S.A.T.B. choir *:commissioned by the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Boston, Emmanuel Choir, Boston and the Ojai Festival *''O Magnum Mysterium'' (1991/92), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *:commissioned by Saturday Evening Brass *''Veni Creator Spiritus'' (1992), for a cappella T.B. choir *:commissioned by the Rosalind Denny Lewis Music Library at the

*''Communion Words'' (1994), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *''Concerning Them Which Are Asleep'' (1994), for a cappella S.S.A.T.B.B. choir *''Emerson'' (1995), a cappella S.A.T.B. double choir *:commissioned by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Music for their 100th anniversary (1995) *''Juste Judex'' (1995), for mezzo-soprano, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra *:commissioned as part of the Requiem of Reconciliation *''Evening (Der Abend)'' (1997), for a cappella S.A.T.B. double choir *''Four Psalms'' (1998), for S.A.T.B. soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra *:commissioned by the Israeli Consulate for the Chicago Symphony *''Psalm 137'' (1998), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *Requiem (Harbison), Requiem (1985–2002), for S.A.T.B. soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra *:commissioned by the

*''We do not live to ourselves'' (2002), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *''Abraham'' (2004), for double S.A.T.B. choir and two large brass choirs *:commissioned for the Papal Concert of Reconciliation in Rome for the Ankara Polyphonic Choir, London Philharmonic Choir, Krakow Philharmonic Choir and musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony *''Charity Never Faileth'' (2004), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *''Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled'' (2004), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *''My Little Children, Let Us Not Love in Word'' (2004), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *:commissioned by the Cantata Singers *''But Mary Stood'' (2005), for soprano solo, choir and string orchestra *:commissioned by the Cantata Singers *''Umbrian Landscape with Saint'' (2005), for optional choir and chamber ensemble *:commissioned by the Chicago Chamber Musicians *''A Clear Midnight'' (2007), for T.T.B.B. choir and five strings *:commissioned by the Georgina Joshi Foundation for Indiana University and the Pro Arte Singers *''Madrigal'' (2007), for a cappella S.A.T.B.B. choir *:commissioned by the New York Virtuoso Singers *''The Pool'' (2010), for S.A.T.B. choir and piano *''Koussevitzky Said: Choral Scherzo with Orchestra'' (2012), for S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra: commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Tanglewood Music Festival *''The Supper at Emmaus'' (2013), for S.A.T.B. choir, two oboes, bassoon, organ and string orchestra *''Never Time'' (2015), for jazz choir and jazz band *''Psalm 116'' (2016), for a cappella S.S.S.A.A.A.T.T.T.B.B.B. choir *:commissioned by Chanticleer (ensemble), Chanticleer

Chamber

* ''Andante con moto'' (1955), for cello and piano * ''Duo'' (1961), for flute and piano * ''Canzonetta'' (1962), for bassoon quartet * ''Confinement'' (1965), for twelve players *:written for the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble and Arthur Weisberg * ''Four Preludes from "December Music"'' (1967), for flexible instrumentation: 3 instruments – flute, violin, oboe, clarinet * Serenade (1968), for flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, viola and cello * Piano Trio (1969), for violin, cello and piano * ''Bermuda Triangle'' (1970), for tenor saxophone, electric organ and amplified cello *:commissioned by the New York Camerata * ''Die Kurze'' (1970), for flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello *:commissioned by the New York Composer's Forum * ''Snow Country'' (1979), for oboe and string quintet *:commissioned by Dr. Maurice Pechet * Wind Quintet (1979), for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon *:commissioned by the Naumburg Foundation * ''Due Libri'' (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players *:commissioned by the New York Philomusica and Robert D. Levin, Robert Levin * ''Mottetti di Montale'' (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players ''or'' piano *:commissioned by New York Philomusica, the University of Oregon and Collage * ''Organum for Paul Fromm'' (1981), for glockenspiel, marimba, vibraphone, harpsichord and piano *:commissioned by the University of Chicago * Piano Quintet (1981), for two violins, viola, cello and piano *:commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival * ''Exequien for Calvin Simmons'' (1982), for seven players * ''Overture: Michael Kohlhaas'' (1982), for twelve brass * Variations (1982), for clarinet, violin and piano *:commissioned by Frank Taplin for the Token Creek Festival, Wisconsin * String Quartet No. 1 (1985), for two violins, viola and cello *:commissioned by the Cleveland Quartet * ''Twilight Music'' (1985), for horn, violin and piano *:commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center * ''Fanfare for Foley's'' (1986), for twelve brass and two percussion * ''Music for Eighteen Winds'' (1986) *:commissioned by the

* String Quartet No. 2 (1987), for two violins, viola and cello * ''Two Chorale Preludes for Advent (from "Christmas Vespers")'' (1987), for brass quintet * ''Fantasy-Duo'' (1988), for violin and piano *:commissioned by the Library of Congress, McKim Fund in the Library of Congress for David Abel and Julie Steinberg * ''Little Fantasy on "The Twelve Days of Christmas"'' (1988), for brass quintet * ''November 19, 1828'' (1988), for violin, viola, cello and piano *:commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts for the Atlanta Chamber Players, the Da Capo Chamber Players and Voices of Change * ''Fanfares and Reflection'' (1990), for two violins *:commissioned by Token Creek Festival * ''Fourteen Fabled Folksongs'' (1992), for violin and marimba * Prelude (1993), for cello and piano * String Quartet No. 3 (1993), for two violins, viola and cello * ''San Antonio'' (1994), for alto saxophone and piano * ''Thanks Victor'' (1994), for string quartet *:commissioned by the Lydian Quartet * Trio Sonata (1994), for three clarinets ''or'' three saxophones ''or'' oboe, cor Anglais and bassoon ''or'' string trio * ''Fanfare for a Free Man'' (1997), for three oboes and three bassoons * ''La Primavera di Sottoripa'' (1998), for mezzo-soprano and nine players *:commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival * ''North and South'' (2000), for soprano/mezzo-soprano and seven players *:written for

* ''Six American Painters'' (2000), for flute/oboe, violin, viola and cello *:commissioned by the radio station WGUC Cincinnati * ''Chaconne'' (2001), for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano * String Quartet No. 4 (2002), for two violins, viola and cello *:commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival * ''Cucaraccia and Fugue'' (2003), for four violas *:commissioned by the Token Creek Festival * Trio II. (2003), for violin, cello and piano *:commissioned by the Harris Foundation, Chamber Music America and Meet the Composer for the Amelia Trio * ''Songs America Loves to Sing'' (2004), for flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello *:commissioned by the Atlanta Chamber Players and the Da Capo Chamber Players * ''Abu Ghraib'' (2006), for cello and piano *:commissioned by the Rockport Festival for Rhonda Rider and David Deveau * ''Deep Dances'' (2006), for cello and double bass *:commissioned by the Bank of America, Bank of America Celebrity Series for Rebecca Rice * ''French Horn Suite'' (2006), for four French horns *:commissioned by the

* ''Cortège: in memoriam Donald Sur'' (2008), for percussion sextet *:commissioned by the New England Conservatory, New England Conservatory Percussion Ensemble * ''Diamond Watch'' (2010), for two pianos *:commissioned by the

and Priscilla Myrick Diamond for Peter Diamond and pianist Robert D. Levin, Robert Levin * ''Finale, Presto'' (2011), for two violins, viola and cello * ''Sonata No. 1'' (2011), for violin and piano * String Quartet No. 5 (2011), for two violins, viola and cello *:written in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Pro Arte Quartet * ''Crossroads'' (2012), for soprano or mezzo-soprano, oboe, two violins, viola, cello and double bass ''or'' oboe and string orchestra * ''Invention on a Theme of William Shakespeare'' (2012), for solo cello, two violins, viola and double bass * ''The Right to Pleasure'' (2013), for mezzo-soprano, two violins, viola, cello and double bass ''or'' piano * String Trio (2013), for violin, viola and cello *:commissioned by Camerata Pacifica audience members * ''The Cross of Snow'' (2015), for countertenor and four violas da gamba ''or'' two violins, viola and cello *:commissioned by William John Wartmann in memory of Joyce Frances Wartmann * ''Presences'' (2015), for cello solo, two violins, viola, cello and double bass *:commissioned by Charles Felsenthal in memory of David Anderson * ''Mark the Date'' (2016), for flute and piano *:commissioned by Asadour Santourian * ''The Nine Rasas'' (2016), for clarinet, viola and piano * String Quartet No. 6 (2016), for two violins, viola and cello *:commissioned by the Lark Quartet (string quartet), Lark Quartet, Telegraph Quartet and Tanglewood Music Center * ''IF (monodrama for soprano and ensemble)'' (2017), for soprano and eight players *:commissioned by Boston Musica Viva for the 50th anniversary of Boston Musica Viva, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center * ''Sonata for Viola and Piano'' (2018), for viola and piano *:commissioned anonymously in honor of John Harbison's 80th birthday

Vocal

*''Autumnal'' (1964), for alto and piano *''Cantata III'' (1968), for soprano, two violins, viola and cello *''Moments of Vision'' (1975), for soprano and tenor doubling handbells, alto recorder/sopranino recorder/bass recorder/alto krumhorn, lute/hurdy-gurdy/dulcimer and gamba *''Samuel Chapter'' (1978), for high voice (woman or boy) and six players *''Due Libri'' (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players *:commissioned by the New York Philomusica and Robert D. Levin, Robert Levin *''Mottetti di Montale'' (1980), for mezzo-soprano and nine players ''or'' piano *:commissioned by New York Philomusica, the University of Oregon and Collage *''Mirabai Songs'' (1982), for soprano/mezzo-soprano and eight players ''or'' piano * '' The Rewaking'' (1991), for soprano and string quartet (text of William Carlos Williams) *''December 1'' (1995), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra *''La Primavera di Sottoripa'' (1998), for mezzo-soprano and nine players *:commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival *''Il Saliscendi Bianco'' (1999), for mezzo-soprano and nine players *:commissioned by Collage *''North and South'' (2000), for soprano/mezzo-soprano and seven players *:written for

*''Ain't Goin' to Study War No More'' (2003), for baritone, two trumpets, snare drum and string orchestra *''Milosz Songs'' (2006), for soprano and orchestra *''Closer to My Own Life'' (2011), for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra *''Crossroads'' (2012), for soprano or mezzo-soprano, oboe, two violins, viola, cello and double bass ''or'' oboe and string orchestra *:commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for

*''Seven Poems of Lorine Niedecker'' (2015), for soprano and piano *:composed in honor of the Tanglewood Music Center, Tanglewood Music Center's 75th anniversary *''IF (monodrama for soprano and ensemble)'' (2017), for soprano and eight players *:commissioned by Boston Musica Viva in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Boston Musica Viva, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Solo

*''Sonata for Viola Alone'' (1961) *''Amazing Grace'' (1972), for oboe *:commissioned by oboist Philip West *''Four Occasional Pieces'' (1978), for piano *:written for

, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and in memory of John Boros, respectively *''Parody-Fantasia'' (1980), for piano *:adapted from ''December Music'' *''Four Songs of Solitude'' (1985), for violin *:written for the composer's wife, Rose Mary Harbison *''Four More Occasional Pieces'' (1987), for piano *:written for Joan Tower, Harriet Thiele, Rose Mary Harbison and Milo Feinberg, respectively *Sonata No. 1 – ''In Memoriam Roger Sessions'' (1987), for piano *:commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts for Robert Shannon (pianist), Robert Shannon,

and Alan Feinberg *Suite (1993), for cello *Trio Sonata (1994), for piano ''or'' harpsichord ''or'' fortepiano ''or'' electric keyboard *:commissioned by the

*''Gatsby Etudes'' (1999), for piano *''A Violist's Notebook, Book 1'' (1998–2000), for viola *Sonata No. 2 (2001), for piano *:commissioned by G. Schirmer, G. Schirmer Associated Music for Robert D. Levin, Robert Levin, to whom the work is dedicated *''A Violist's Notebook, Book 2'' (2002), for viola *''Montale Sketches'' (2002), for piano *:after three poems by Eugenio Montale *''Ten Micro-Waltzes'' (2004), for piano *''Leonard Stein Anagrams'' (2009) *:written for Leonard Stein (musicologist), Leonard Stein *''For Violin Alone'' (2014), for violin *:commissioned by 92nd Street Y *''Painting the Flowers Blue'' (2015), for violin *''A Bag of Tails'' (2016), for piano *''Nocturne'' (2018), for piano *:commissioned in honor of Linda Reichert’s tenure as Artistic Director of Network for New Music *''Passage'' (2019), for piano *''Suite for Solo Violin, on soggetti cavati'' (2019), for violin

References

External links

Profile
Wise Music Group, Wise Music Classical
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) page on John Harbison
*
Infinite MIT video interview with John Harbison
* podcast of John Harbison discussing his String Quartet No. 3 (1993)

includes Harbison's ''Fantasia from Quartet No. 2'' performed by Del Sol Quartet
Bruce Duffie, interview with John Harbison, June 13, 1991
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harbison, John 1938 births 20th-century American classical composers 21st-century American classical composers American opera composers Harvard University alumni Living people MacArthur Fellows American male opera composers MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences faculty Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Musicians from Orange, New Jersey Pulitzer Prize for Music winners Pupils of Roger Sessions Pupils of Walter Piston Music & Arts artists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians Albany Records artists