Collection Classical Music
Meet great composers, explore the vast musical world of the orchestra, study the science behind the instruments, and discover how classical music is anything but boring.
Born
March 9, 1910
Died
January 23, 1981
Country
United States of America
Samuel Barber was born March 1910 in Pennsylvania. An American composer, Barber was popularly known for his romantic and European compositions, which were mostly tonal.
He wrote his first piece at age seven, followed by an opera at ten. Thereafter, he studied voice, piano, composition, and conducting at Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where he later taught briefly. He also studied in Rome in 1936 through a scholarship award from American Academy’s Prix de Rome. He was later elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Barber garnered huge success in his work. His major award-winning compositions and honors include the opera Vanessa (1956) for which he won a Pulitzer price; Anthony and Cleopatra, commissioned to open the new Metropolitan Opera House (New York City); and School of Scandal, which won him an award in 1933. His famed and dynamic masterpiece, Adagio for Strings (extracted from String Quartet, 1936), was played a couple of years later by NBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by the famous master Toscanini.
He worked on various outstanding music pieces. His ballet scores are Medea and Souvenirs. In addition to the piano sonatas Ballade and Excursions, he composed violin, cello, flute, trumpet, and strings concerti. He arranged orchestral music (symphonies) as well as vocal and choral music such as Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (1947) for soprano and orchestra. He died in 1981.
|
Meet great composers, explore the vast musical world of the orchestra, study the science behind the instruments, and discover how classical music is anything but boring.
Get inside the mind of a composer—from a popular song, to a Broadway musical, to a symphony, how does a composer write music?
You might see some of these instruments when you come to the Kennedy Center, watch a performance by your school band, or at any other concert you attend! Click the slides to learn more about some of the most frequently spotted instruments in each family.
Warning:Â this article contains excerpts from some of the saddest pieces of music ever written.
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Bank of America; Bender Foundation, Inc.; Capital One; Carter and Melissa Cafritz Trust; Carnegie Corporation of New York; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Estée Lauder; Exelon; Flocabulary; Harman Family Foundation; The Hearst Foundations; the Herb Alpert Foundation; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The King-White Family Foundation and Dr. J. Douglas White; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Little Kids Rock; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation;
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Music Theatre International; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; the National Endowment for the Arts; Newman’s Own Foundation; Nordstrom; Park Foundation, Inc.; Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives; Prince Charitable Trusts; Soundtrap; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; UnitedHealth Group; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Dennis & Phyllis Washington; and Wells Fargo. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts.
Social perspectives and language used to describe diverse cultures, identities, experiences, and historical context or significance may have changed since this resource was produced. Kennedy Center Education is committed to reviewing and updating our content to address these changes. If you have specific feedback, recommendations, or concerns, please contact us at [email protected].