Era Classical | ||
Born December 1, 1928 Cincinnati, Ohio Died 19 December 2016, Tarrytown, New York, United States | ||
Elizabeth Bell (1928 – December 19, 2016) was an award-winning American composer.
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Life and education
Elizabeth Bell was born in Cincinnati in 1928. She gained her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Wellesley College in 1950, and a BS in Composition from Juilliard in 1953. She studied under Peter Mennin and Vittorio Giannini. Later she also studied with Paul Alan Levi. From 1969 to 1975 Bell worked as the music critic of the Ithaca Journal. She has performed throughout the world. She is a founder member of New York Women Composers, Inc. and has been on the Board of Governors of American Composers Alliance. She is also strongly involved with the International Alliance of Women in Music. Bell died on December 19, 2016.
Family
She married Frank Drake in 1953 and they had three sons. In 1983 she married Robert E. Friou.
Awards and commissions
Bell has had numerous commissions including
Of an Eleanor Elkins' recital Bell said:
"My piece, Night music, was something of a revelation. Max Lifchitz (who commissioned it) has played it numerous times, and recorded it on the Vienna Modern Masters label. His interpretation is brilliant and satisfying. Eleanor's was entirely different: also brilliant, but more sombre and angry, more suggestive of 'night music.' I like them both, and am delighted to have Ms. Elkins' interpretation on tape."