Ned Rorem

Ned Rorem (1923-2022) was a key American composer of art song in addition to making substantial contributions to all classical music genres except electronics. Rorem's style was based in impressionism and the diatonic scale from the first, and he never abandoned it. Rorem performed his first piano concerto at age 16; he later studied at the Curtis Institute and at Juilliard before settling in Paris; he later returned to New York City. Best known for his song cycles such as War Scenes (1969), Rorem was also a noted diarist and critic. He continued composing well into the 21st century, penning the opera Our Town in 2005 and the 2014 organ work Recalling Nadia. He died at his Manhattan home on November 18, 2022, at age 99.