-->
  • Most Respected Classical Music Platform
  • #classicalForever
BREAKING
Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter to Step Down
TOP
Samuel Barber Death

American Composer Samuel Barber Died in 1981

His signature works include Adagio for Strings and his Violin Concerto Op. 14 — a much-loved standard in today’s concert and competition repertoire

 

Born on March 9, 1910, Samuel Osmond Barber II, was a distinguished American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, standing as one of the most acclaimed figures in mid-20th-century music.

Influenced primarily by nine years of composition studies under Rosario Scalero at the Curtis Institute and over 25 years of tutelage from his uncle, composer Sidney Homer, Barber's musical style veered away from the experimental tendencies of musical modernism. Instead, he favored the traditional harmonic language and formal structures of the 19th century, emphasizing lyricism and emotional expression.

He incorporated elements of modernism in certain compositions after 1940, such as heightened dissonance and chromaticism in the Cello Concerto (1945) and Medea's Dance of Vengeance (1955), as well as tonal ambiguity and a limited use of serialism in the Piano Sonata (1949), Prayers of Kierkegaard (1954), and Nocturne (1959).

Barber demonstrated prowess in both instrumental and vocal music, garnering international acclaim for his compositions that swiftly became staples in the classical performance repertoire. Notably, his Adagio for Strings (1936) and its choral adaptation, Agnus Dei (1967), secured enduring positions in the orchestral concert repertory. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Music twice: for his opera Vanessa (1956–57) and the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1962).

While Barber crafted a substantial body of purely instrumental music, a significant portion—two-thirds of his output—comprised art songs for voice and piano, choral compositions, and songs for voice and orchestra. Noteworthy among these are both solo voice and choral versions of Sure on this shining night (1938), and the song cycle Hermit Songs (1953). This emphasis on vocal material was rooted in Barber's brief career as a professional baritone in his 20s, which ignited a lifelong passion for vocal music.

In 1935, he recorded his own rendition of Arnold's "Dover Beach" for NBC, accompanying his singing voice, and was a regular on NBC Radio from 1935–1936, performing German lieder and art songs. Additionally, Barber occasionally conducted performances and recordings of his works with symphony orchestras in the 1950s and taught composition at the Curtis Institute from 1939 to 1942.

He died on January 23, 1981- aged 70. At the time of his death, nearly all of Barber's compositions had been recorded. Renowned groups and artists, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera, Vladimir Horowitz, Eleanor Steber, Raya Garbousova, John Browning, Leontyne Price, Pierre Bernac, Francis Poulenc, and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, commissioned or premiered many of his works.

 

VC ARTIST INMO YANG | BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO | CHRISTOPHER LEE & INCHEON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA | 2021

 

upcoming events

february 2025

07febAll Day17International "Franz Schubert and Modern Music” Chamber Music Competition(All Day) Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, Leonhardstraße 15, A-8010 GrazEvent Type :competitions Event TagsInternational "Franz Schubert and Modern Music” Piano Trio Competition

14febAll Day22Jascha Heifetz International Violin Competition(All Day) Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall, Aušros Vartų g. 5 Vilnius, LithuaniaEvent Type :competitions Event TagsInternational Jascha Heifetz Competition for Violinists

16febAll DayChicago National Chamber Music Competition(All Day: sunday) Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, 201 St Johns Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035, United StatesEvent Type :competitions Event Tagschamber music,competition

march 2025

15marAll DayMusic Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Conference(All Day: saturday) Hilton Minneapolis, 1001 Marquette Ave. Event Type :conferences & tradeshows Event Tagschamber music,Chamber Music America,Conferences,Music Teachers National Association National Conference

18marAll DayJohansen International String Competition(All Day: tuesday) Calvary Baptist Church, 755 8th Street, NW, Washington, DCEvent Type :competitions

19marAll DayAmerican String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference(All Day: wednesday) HYATT REGENCY ATLANTA, 265 Peachtree St Event Type :conferences & tradeshows Event TagsAmerican String Teachers Association,American String Teachers Association National Conference,ASTA,conference

CONTACT US
x

Get ALL our latest conveniently by EMAIL

Our newsletter is trusted by over 100,000+ industry professionals around the world

We deliver news straight to your inbox and will never share your data.
You'll never miss a beat!

click left click right