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Peter Goddard Lieberson (25 October 1946 – 23 April 2011, aged 64) was an American composer of
contemporary classical music Contemporary classical music is Western art music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st-century classical music, 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 Modernism (music), post-tonal music after the death of ...
. His song cycles include two finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Music: '' Rilke Songs'' and '' Neruda Songs''; the latter won the 2008 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition and both were written for his wife, the mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. His three piano concertos were each premiered by the pianist Peter Serkin, with the 1st and 3rd also being Pulitzer finalists.


Early life

Peter Goddard Lieberson was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. He was the son of ballerina and choreographer Vera Zorina (née Eva Brigitta Hartwig) and Goddard Lieberson, president of
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
. Lieberson studied
composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...
with Milton Babbitt, Charles Wuorinen,
Donald Martino Donald James Martino (May 16, 1931 – December 8, 2005) was a Pulitzer Prize winning American composer. Biography Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, Martino attended Plainfield High School. He began as a clarinetist, playing jazz for fun and ...
, and Martin Boykan. After completing his musical studies at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, he left New York in 1976 for
Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...
,
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, to continue his studies with
Chögyam Trungpa Chögyam Trungpa (Wylie transliteration, Wylie: ''Chos rgyam Drung pa''; March 5, 1939 – April 4, 1987), formally named the 11th Zurmang Trungpa, Chokyi Gyatso, was a Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist master and holder of both Kagyu and Nyingm ...
, a Tibetan
Vajrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
master. It was there he met and married Ellen Kearney, a fellow student of Trungpa's. At their teacher's request, the Liebersons moved from Boulder to
Boston, Massachusetts 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 ...
, to co-direct
Shambhala Training Shambhala Training is a secular approach to meditation and a new religious movement developed by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and his students. It is based on what Trungpa calls Shambhala Vision, which sees enlightened soci ...
, a meditation and cultural program. Lieberson earned a Ph.D. from
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
. From 1984 to 1988 he taught 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 ...
. He then became international director of Halifax Shambhala Centre in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...
.


Musical career

Beginning in 1994, Lieberson devoted his time entirely to composition. He met his second wife,
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, in 1997, during the
Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. After creating the ''Opera Association of New Mexico'' in 1956, its founding director, John Crosby (conductor), John Crosby, oversaw the building of the f ...
production of his work ''Ashoka's Dream''; they married in 1999 after Lieberson and his first wife were divorced. He wrote his song cycles '' Rilke Songs'' and '' Neruda Songs'' for Hunt Lieberson. The ''Neruda Songs'', a cycle of songs set to love poems by
Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...
, were co-commissioned by the
Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...
and the
Boston Symphony 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". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, the BSO perfor ...
; the world premiere was given on 20 May 2005, by the
Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...
with
Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish conducting, conductor and composer. He is the music director of the San Francisco Symphony and conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Sw ...
conducting and Hunt Lieberson as soloist. The
Boston Symphony 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". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, the BSO perfor ...
performed the work in November 2005 with Hunt Lieberson as soloist and
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 ...
conducting, followed by performances with the
Cleveland Orchestra The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". T ...
, Robert Spano conducting. Hunt Lieberson died of
breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...
in July 2006, aged 52. Nonesuch released a commercial recording of the Boston/Levine performance of the ''Neruda Songs'' in 2006. In December 2007, Lieberson won the 2008
University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public university, public research university in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. Chartered in 1798 as the Jefferson Seminary, it became in the 19t ...
Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for ''Neruda Songs''. Two different recordings of the '' Rilke Songs'' but Hunt Lieberson, one a studio production and the other a concert recording, have also been issued on the Bridge Records, Inc. label. Lieberson was commissioned by the
Boston Symphony 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". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, the BSO perfor ...
to compose another cycle of Neruda songs, which became the ''Songs of Love and Sorrow''. When he returned to the work, it was no longer simply a memorial and farewell to Hunt Lieberson, but also reflected the influence of his daughters and his third wife, Rinchen Lhamo. Lieberson had three daughters from his first marriage, all of whom are members of the band
TEEN Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...
. Shortly after Lorraine Hunt Lieberson's death, Lieberson was diagnosed with
lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...
. Despite the debilitating effects of the illness and its treatment, Lieberson went on composing. Though thought to have achieved full remission, he died from complications of the disease in 2011 in
Tel Aviv, Israel Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
. He had been living in
Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...
, at the time of his death.


Awards

* Charles Ives Scholarship *
National Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqua ...
* Brandeis Creative Arts Award * Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition *
American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...


Selected works


Opera

*''Ashoka's Dream'' (1997)


Orchestral

*''Drala'' (1986) *''The Gesar Legend'' (1988) *''World's Turning'' (1991) *''The Five Great Elements'' (1995) *''Processional'' (1995) *''Ah'' (2002)


Concertante

*''Concerto for Four Groups of Instruments'' (1972) *Concerto for Violoncello with Accompanying Trios (1974) *
Piano Concerto A piano concerto, a type of concerto, is a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for piano accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuosic showpieces which require an advance ...
(1983) *
Viola Concerto A viola concerto is a concerto contrasting a viola with another body of musical instruments such as an orchestra or chamber music ensemble. Throughout music history, especially during the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras, viola was viewed mo ...
(1992) *''Rhapsody'' for viola and orchestra (1994) *Horn Concerto (1998) *'' Red Garuda'' for piano and orchestra (1999) *''The Six Realms'' for cello and orchestra (2000) * Piano Concerto No. 3 (2003) *''Shing Kham'' for percussion and orchestra (2010–11, finished by
Oliver Knussen Stuart Oliver Knussen (12 June 1952 – 8 July 2018) was a British composer of contemporary classical music and conductor. Among the most influential British composers of his generation, his relatively few compositions are "rooted in 20th-cen ...
and Dejan Badnjar after the composer's death)


Chamber music

*''Flute Variations'' for flute solo (1971) *''Accordance'' for 8 Instruments (1975) *''Tashi Quartet'' for clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1978) *''Lalita'', Chamber Variations (1984) *''Feast Day'' for flute (also piccolo, alto flute), oboe, cello and harpsichord (or piano) (1985) *''Ziji'' for clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello and piano (1987) *''Raising the Gaze'' for flute (also piccolo), clarinet (also bass clarinet), violin, viola, cello, piano and percussion (1988) *''Elegy'' for violin and piano (1990) *''Wind Messengers'' for 3 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets (also bass clarinets), 2 bassoons and 2 horns (1990) *''A Little Fanfare'' for flute, trumpet, violin and harp (1991) *''A Little Fanfare (II)'' for clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano (1993) *''Variations'' for violin and piano (1993) *''Rumble'', Medley for viola, double bass and percussion (1994) *String Quartet (1994) *''Three Variations'' for cello and piano (1996) *''Free and Easy Wanderer'' (1998) *Piano Quintet (2001) *''Remembering
Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
'' for cello and piano (2009)


Piano

*''Piano Fantasy'' (1975) *''Bagatelles'' (1985) *''Fantasy Pieces'' (1989) # ''Breeze of Delight'' # ''Dragon's Thunder'' # ''Memory's Luminous Wind'' *''Scherzo No. 1'' (1989) *''Garland'' (1994) *''The Ocean that Has No West and No East'' (1997) *''Tolling Piece'' (1998)


Vocal

*''Three Songs'' for soprano and chamber ensemble (1981)John C. Levey (200
''Technique and Evolution in Peter Lieberson's Three Songs and Rikle Songs''
University of Michigan)
*''King Gesar'' for narrator and chamber ensemble (1991) *''C'mon Pigs of Western Civilization Eat More Grease'' for baritone and piano (2001) *''Forgiveness'' for baritone and cello (2001) *'' Rilke Songs'' for mezzo-soprano and piano (2001) *'' Neruda Songs'' for
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...
and orchestra (2005) *''The Coming of Light'' for baritone, oboe and string quartet (2009) *''Remembering
JFK John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until Assassination of John F. Kennedy, his assassination in 1963. He was the first Catholic Chur ...
(An American Elegy)'' for narrator and orchestra (2010) *''Songs of Love and Sorrow'' for baritone and orchestra (2010)


Choral

*''The World in Flower'' for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra (2007)


References


External links


Biography at Schirmer

Neruda Songs, new album on Nonesuch

Article in Shambhala Sun Magazine



David Weininger on Lieberson & Songs of Love & Sorrow

"Peter Lieberson on Record" by Ethan Iverson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lieberson, Peter 1946 births 2011 deaths American male classical composers Jewish American classical composers Deaths from lymphoma in Israel Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Composers from New York City Columbia University School of the Arts alumni Brandeis University alumni Harvard University faculty 20th-century American classical composers 21st-century American classical composers American people of English-Jewish descent American people of German descent American people of Norwegian descent