Laura Clayton (born December 8, 1943) is an American pianist and composer. She was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and studied at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and at Columbia University, New York, with Mario Davidovsky. She began studying composition with Darius Milhaud at the Aspen Music School and graduated with a Master of Music in Composition from the New England Conservatory in Boston. She lived for a while in Brazil and then continued her studies at the University of Michigan, graduating with a Doctorate of Musical Arts.
After completing her education, she worked as a composer. In 1980, her work was chosen to represent the United States at the International Rostrum of Composers.
Her compositional style has been describes as rhythmically complex with a "highly refined sense of mystery", inspired by images of nature. Cree Songs for the Newborn, based on creole poems, was chosen to represent the USA at the 1980 UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris.
Honors and awards Charles Ives Prize from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, 1980 Walter B. Hinrichsen Award NEA awards Jerome Foundation grant University of Michigan grant Alice M. Ditson Fund grant Guggenheim Foundation grant, 1984 MacDowell Fellow
Works Source:
Chamber Music
Mobile no. 2, for voice and piano, 1975 O Train Azul for guitar, 1977 Cree Songs to the Newborn for Soprano and chamber orchestra, 1987 Passagio, for piano, 1978 Herself the Tide, for Soprano and piano, 1981 Panels, for chamber ensemble, 1983 Clara's Sea, for women's voices, 1988 Joie, for piano, 1990
Orchestral Music
Sagarama with piano, 1984 Terra Lucida, 1988
Tape
Implosure for two dancers, slide and tape, 1977 Simichai-ya, sax, echoplex, tape, 1987
References