George Crumb (b. 1929) was born and grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. Crumb moved in a very short time from being an unknown piano teacher to becoming the best-known American composer of his generation, winning every major prize and honor, receiving more commissions than he could accept in a lifetime, and being appointed to a prestigious position as a member of the composition faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. For a certain period in the 1970s he became a…
George Crumb (b. 1929) was born and grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. Crumb moved in a very short time from being an unknown piano teacher to becoming the best-known American composer of his generation, winning every major prize and honor, receiving more commissions than he could accept in a lifetime, and being appointed to a prestigious position as a member of the composition faculty at the University of Pennsylvania. For a certain period in the 1970s he became a cult figure, an incongruous and uncomfortable position for a person of such shy demeanor, but one with which he had to contend despite himself. Such works as Ancient Voices of Children, for soprano, boy soprano, and seven instrumentalists, including pianist (1970), Black Angels, for string quartet (1970), and Voice of the Whale, for flute, cello, and piano (1971) captured the imagination of audiences as no other composer of the time could do. Aug 2010