Bernard Rands

The British-born American composer Bernard Rands wrote accessible music in large forms, in a style derived from those of European avant-garde composers. Rands won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1984 for the song cycle Canti del Sole, and he was honored with several other major prizes. He studied with some of the larger figures of mid-20th century music, and his own style -- combining lyrical qualities with intense drama -- reflected aspects of those of all his teachers. The male vocal ensemble Chanticleer's recording of Rands' Canti d'Amor won a Grammy in 2000.