Morton Gould

Morton Gould (1913-1996), American composer and conductor, known for works using themes from folk music, spirituals, and jazz. Gould was born in the Richmond Hill section of Queens, New York. In the 1960s he worked as a pianist (performing on the radio) and directed a radio program of light classical music for which he composed, arranged, and conducted. His earlier compositions, such as Spirituals for Orchestra (1941), and the ballet score Fall River Legend (1948), are based on clear harmonies and formal structures (see Harmony;Musical Form). His later works are more abstract and complex. Venice (1967), written for double orchestra and bands, echoes 17th-century Venetian music in its use of counterpoint and divided orchestra. Gould also composed music for Broadway shows, such as Million Dollar Baby (1945); Hollywood motion pictures; and television productions, such as Verdun (1963), World War I (1964-1965), and Holocaust (1978). As a conductor, Gould won a Grammy Award (1966) for his recording of the first symphony of American composer Charles Ives. He later toured Australia (1979), Mexico (1980), and Israel (1981). Gould received a Kennedy Center Honors Award in 1994 for lifetime achievement in the performing arts. In 1995 he won the Pulitzer Prize for composition with his piece String Music (1994).