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For distinguished musical composition by an American that has had its first performance or recording in the United States during the year, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Tempest Fantasy, by Paul Moravec

Premiered by the Trio Solisti and clarinet soloist David Krakauer on May 2, 2003 at the Morgan Library, New York City.
Lee Bollinger and Paul Moravec

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger (left) presents the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Music to Paul Moravec.

Winning Work

Tempest Fantasy

Duration: ca. 25 minutes
Instrumentation: Cl. Vn. Vc. Pno.
Premiere: Trio Solisti and David Krakauer
Morgan Library, New York City, May 2, 2003

Biography

Paul Moravec is the composer of over seventy published orchestral, chamber, choral, and lyric compositions as well as several film scores and electro-acoustic pieces. His music has earned numerous distinctions, including the Rome Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, a Fellowship in Music Composition from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, a Camargo Foundation Residency Fellowship, a Goddard Lieberson Fellowship and Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts & Letters as well as many commissions.

A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University, he has taught at Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Hunter College and currently heads the Music Department at Adelphi University.

Recent world premieres include THE TIME GALLERY with Eighth Blackbird at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MONTSERRAT: CELLO CONCERTO with the Orchestra of St. Ignatius Loyola (NYC), A CROWD OF STARS with Robert White & Brian Zeger at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, QUINTESSENCE at the International Trumpet Guild conference, VITA BREVIS, a song cycle for tenor Paul Sperry, SPIRIT, a cantata commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, TEMPEST FANTASY with David Krakauer and the Trio Solisti at the Morgan Library (NYC), NO WORDS, commissioned by Concert Artists Guild for pianist James Lent and the Gay Gotham Chorus, ZU-ZU'S PETALS! for the Kreston/Gordon violin/marimba duo, two works for the Elements String Quartet, EVERYONE SANG with baritone Troy Cook, commissioned by the Marilyn Horne Foundation, and CHAMBER SYMPHONY, commissioned by the Bridgehampton Festival for its 20th anniversary season in August, 2003.

On compact disc: SONGS OF LOVE AND WAR for SATB Chorus/Orchestra on a CD featuring The Dessoff Choirs & Orchestra, SONATA FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO on BMG/RCA Classics, SPIRITDANCE, an orchestral work on the Vienna Modern Masters label, and an album of chamber compositions titled CIRCULAR DREAMS on CRI. Coming next year on Arabesque Records: TEMPEST FANTASY, MOOD SWINGS, B.A.S.S. VARIATIONS, SCHERZO, performed by the Trio Solisti and clarinetist David Krakauer.

Finalists

Nominated as finalists in Music in 2004:

Peter Lieberson

Premiered by the Minnesota Orchestra on November 26, 2003 in Minneapolis, Minn. (G. Schirmer, Inc.)

Steve Reich

Premiered on October 18, 2003 at The Krannert Center, Champaign-Urbana, Ill. (Boosey & Hawkes)

The Jury

Robert Ward(chair )*

professor emeritus

David Baker

distinguished professor of music and chairman of the jazz department

Ara Guzelimian

senior director and artistic advisor

Tim Page*

music critic

Wayne Peterson*

professor emeritus of composition

Winners in Music

John Adams

Premiered by the New York Philharmonic on September 19, 2002 at Avery Fisher Hall.

Henry Brant

Premiered on December 12, 2001 at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, California.

John Corigliano

Premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on November 30, 2000 at Symphony Hall, Boston, MA.

Lewis Spratlan

Premiered on January 28, 2000 by Dinosaur Annex in Amherst, MA. Libretto by James Maraniss.

2004 Prize Winners

Daniel Golden

For his compelling and meticulously documented stories on admission preferences given to the children of alumni and donors at American universities.

Staff

For its compelling and comprehensive coverage of the massive wildfires that imperiled a populated region of southern California.