Emma Lou Diemer
Encyclopedia
Emma Lou Diemer is an American
composer
. Diemer has written many works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, keyboard, voice, chorus (women's, men's), and electronic media. Diemer is a keyboard performer and over the years has given concerts of her own organ works at Washington National Cathedral, The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Grace Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, and others.
Works include many collections and single pieces for organ as well as many for solo piano, piano 4 hands, and two pianos. Her major chamber works include a piano quartet, string quartet, two piano trios, and sonatas and suites for flute, violin, cello, and piano as well as settings of the psalms for organ with accompaniment. Diemer has written many choral works as well. She has written numerous hymns, several of which appear in church hymnals. Her songs number in the dozens, using texts by many contemporary and early poets including Walt Whitman, Amy Lowell, Sara Teasdale, Alice Meynell, Thomas Campion, Shakespeare, John Donne, her sister Dorothy Diemer Hendry, Emily Dickinson, Robert Lowell, and many others.
and her M.M
from the Yale School of Music
in 1949 and 1950, respectively. She then went on to study composition in Brussels, Belgium on a Fulbright Scholarship
from 1952 to 1953, ultimately returning to the United States to receive her Ph.D from the Eastman School of Music
in 1960. She was professor of theory and composition at the University of Maryland 1965-70, and joined the faculty of the University of California
(UCSB) in 1971. She is professor emeritus, 1991–present.
While at UCSB, Diemer helped to establish the computer/electronic music program.
Other notable works:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Diemer has written many works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, keyboard, voice, chorus (women's, men's), and electronic media. Diemer is a keyboard performer and over the years has given concerts of her own organ works at Washington National Cathedral, The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Grace Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, and others.
Works include many collections and single pieces for organ as well as many for solo piano, piano 4 hands, and two pianos. Her major chamber works include a piano quartet, string quartet, two piano trios, and sonatas and suites for flute, violin, cello, and piano as well as settings of the psalms for organ with accompaniment. Diemer has written many choral works as well. She has written numerous hymns, several of which appear in church hymnals. Her songs number in the dozens, using texts by many contemporary and early poets including Walt Whitman, Amy Lowell, Sara Teasdale, Alice Meynell, Thomas Campion, Shakespeare, John Donne, her sister Dorothy Diemer Hendry, Emily Dickinson, Robert Lowell, and many others.
Academics
Diemer received both her B.M.Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree; the majority of work consists of prescribed music courses and study in applied music, usually requiring a...
and her M.M
Master of Music
The Master of Music is the first graduate degree in Music awarded by universities and music conservatories. The M.Mus. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy...
from the Yale School of Music
Yale School of Music
The Yale School of Music is one of the twelve professional schools at Yale University and one of the premier music conservatories in the world....
in 1949 and 1950, respectively. She then went on to study composition in Brussels, Belgium on a Fulbright Scholarship
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
from 1952 to 1953, ultimately returning to the United States to receive her Ph.D from the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
in 1960. She was professor of theory and composition at the University of Maryland 1965-70, and joined the faculty of the University of California
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
(UCSB) in 1971. She is professor emeritus, 1991–present.
While at UCSB, Diemer helped to establish the computer/electronic music program.
Notable works
She was composer-in-residence with the Santa Barbara Symphony 1990-92. The symphony premiered 4 of her works:- Concerto for Piano in One Movement (which received a Kennedy Center Friedheim award in 1992), recorded in Volume X of the MMC New Century series of CDs (MMC 2067, released in 1998), performed by Betty Oberacker, soloist, and the Czech RSO led by Vladimir Valek. One of its features is that it sporadically employs padded piano strings.
- Santa Barbara Overture
- Homage to Tchaikovsky
- Chumash Dance Celebration.
- Concerto for Marimba in One Movement, commissioned by the Women's Philharmonic of San Francisco.
Other notable works:
- SONGS FOR THE EARTH, commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Society, performed in Davies Hall, 2005. The work is for chorus and orchestra, with texts by Emily Dickinson, Mary Oliver, Dorothy Diemer Hendry, Omar Khayyam, and Hildegard von Bingen
- MASS for chorus, 2 pianos, percussion.
Awards
- Eastman School of Music
- Yale School of Music
- National Endowment for the Arts
- ASCAP (annually since 1962)
- American Guild of Organists (1995 Composer of the Year)
- Mu Phi Epsilon
- honorary doctorate in 1999 from the University of Central MissouriUniversity of Central MissouriThe University of Central Missouri is a four-year public institution in Warrensburg, Missouri.- History :...
External links
- Emma Lou Diemer papers, at the University of California, Santa BarbaraUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraThe University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
Library. - Emma Lou Diemer: A Consummate Musician By Ellen Grolman Schlegel.