Norman Dello Joio

Norman Dello Joio
Name	Norman Dello Joio
Birth date	January 24, 1913
Birth place	New York City, New York, United States
Death date	July 24, 2008
Death place	East Hampton, New York, United States
Occupation	Composer, educator
Notable works	"Meditations on Ecclesiastes", "A Jubilant Song", "The Triumph of Saint Joan"
Awards	Pulitzer Prize for Music, National Institute of Arts and Letters Award

Norman Dello Joio was an American composer and educator whose career spanned the mid-20th century into the late 20th century, noted for blending liturgical chorale traditions with modern orchestral technique. He produced works for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, ballet, and television, and won major recognitions including the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Dello Joio's music connected influences from Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Sergei Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, and the Roman Catholic Church's liturgical repertoire while engaging with institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and NBC Symphony Orchestra.

Early life and education

Born in New York City to an Italian immigrant family, Dello Joio studied piano and composition as a child and was exposed to the musical life of Manhattan and institutions like the Metropolitan Opera and Juilliard School performances. He trained privately with his father, composer Don Lorenzo Dello Joio, and later studied composition and counterpoint under Paul Hindemith-influenced teachers as well as through association with faculty at the Eastman School of Music and Columbia University. Early connections with figures such as Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson, Bohuslav Martinů, and Samuel Barber shaped his technical foundation and introduction to American professional ensembles like the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Career and musical style

Dello Joio's career encompassed commissions from broadcasting companies, ballet companies, and symphony orchestras including work for NBC, the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Ballet Theatre, and the New York City Ballet. His style combined lyrical melody reminiscent of Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams with rhythmic clarity associated with Stravinsky and harmonic color linked to Paul Hindemith and Dmitri Shostakovich. Critics compared his choral writing to traditions exemplified by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Anton Bruckner while his orchestral color drew on the timbral experimentation of Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. He collaborated with conductors such as Leopold Stokowski, Arturo Toscanini, Eugene Ormandy, and Leonard Bernstein and worked with soloists including Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Birgit Nilsson in performances that reached venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Major works and compositions

Prominent works include the choral-orchestral piece "Meditations on Ecclesiastes" (Pulitzer-winning), the orchestral "Symphony: The Triumph of Saint Joan", the cantata "A Jubilant Song", and numerous solo piano works, chamber pieces, and songs. He wrote ballets and incidental music for productions associated with Martha Graham, the New York City Ballet, and television scores for programs on NBC and the National Broadcasting Company affiliates. Dello Joio composed for ensembles such as the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and produced pedagogical works used by conservatories like Curtis Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music.

Awards and honors

Dello Joio received the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1957, awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, commissions from the National Endowment for the Arts, and prizes from the Guggenheim Foundation. He was honored with distinctions from the Library of Congress, the New York Philharmonic and received honorary degrees from institutions including Boston University and Fordham University. Professional recognition came from memberships in organizations such as the American Composers Alliance and the National Institute of Arts and Letters.

Teaching and influence

Throughout his career Dello Joio taught composition and theory at institutions including Sarah Lawrence College, Boston University, and through masterclasses at the Juilliard School and New England Conservatory of Music. His pupils entered professional positions with orchestras and conservatories like the Metropolitan Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra, and his pedagogical materials were adopted by conservatories such as the Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music. He influenced contemporaries and students who later associated with the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Tanglewood Music Center, and the Aspen Music Festival and School.

Personal life and legacy

Dello Joio lived much of his life in New York State, maintained ties to cultural centers such as Long Island and East Hampton, and participated in civic arts programs sponsored by entities like the National Endowment for the Arts and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. His legacy is preserved through archives at institutions such as the Library of Congress, performances by ensembles including the New York Philharmonic and regional orchestras, and recordings on labels that document mid-20th-century American composition alongside composers like Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Leonard Bernstein. His music remains part of choral and orchestral repertoires at venues from Carnegie Hall to conservatories such as Eastman School of Music and the Juilliard School.

Category:American composers Category:1913 births Category:2008 deaths