National Medal of Arts, Pulitzer Prize, and Grammy Award-winner William Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer of chamber, operatic, vocal, choral, cabaret, ragtime, and symphonic music.
He joined the faculty of the University of Michigan's School of Music in 1973, was named the Ross Lee Finney Distinguished University Professor of Composition in 1994, and retired in 2008 after 35 years. Bolcom won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1988 for 12 New Etudes for Piano, and his setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience on the Naxos label won four Grammy Awards in 2005.
As a pianist Bolcom has performed and recorded his own work frequently in collaboration with his wife and musical partner, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris. Cabaret songs, show tunes, and American popular songs of the 20th century have been their primary specialties in both concerts and recordings. Their 25th album, "Autumn Leaves," was released in 2015.
In 2018, nine world premieres of Bolcom works commemorated William Bolcom's 80th birthday.
In a performance we can only describe as exquisite, Marc-Andé Hamelin paid homage to one of Bolcom's most beloved compositions, “Graceful Ghost Rag,” in his January 2023 appearance on a Tiny Desk Concert at National Public Radio in Washington, DC.
Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C.
Read moreBolcom’s Suite of Preludes was given its World Premiere in October 2021 at Hudson Hall in Hudson, New York by Steinway Artist Jenny Lin. Composed during the Coronavirus lockdown, this nine-movement suite is comprised of miniatures that reveal the personal side of Bolcom - they contain elements of humor, obscure thematic quotes, jazz chords - all within the European American style for which the composer is known.
Read moreWilliam Bolcom’s recent work, written for the pianist Igor Levit, is streaming after its premiere earlier this year.
Read moreNew recording from the Fischer Duo celebrates the piano-cello group’s 50 years of performances together.
Read moreOn April 20, 2022, The Mahler Chamber Orchestra gave the world premiere of William Bolcom's Piano Concerto No. 2 at their annual residency at the Heidelberger Frühling festival.
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Auditorium Jean-Pierre Dautel, Conservatoire & Orchestre de Caen , 1 rue du Carel, Caen, France
A program of cabaret songs by Bolcom, Britten, Gershwin and others will include Bolcom's Amor, George, Toothbrush Time, Waitin’, and Song of Black Max sung by Cyrielle Ndjiki Nya with Kaoli Ono on the piano.
