Jacob Raphael Druckman (June 26, 1928Although the "New York Times" obituary says June 25, according to the composer's son Daniel, the correct date is, indeed, June 26. – May 24, 1996) was an American composer.

Life A graduate of the Juilliard School in 1956, Druckman studied with Vincent Persichetti, Peter Mennin, and Bernard Wagenaar. In 1949 and 1950 he studied with Aaron Copland at Tanglewood; he continued his studies at the École Normale de Musique de Paris in 1954–55.

He worked extensively with electronic music, in addition to a number of works for orchestra or for small ensembles. In 1972, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his first large orchestral work, Windows.Keller, James M. "Thomas / Druckman / Harte" . Liner note essay. New World Records. He was composer-in-residence of the New York Philharmonic from 1982 until 1985. Druckman taught at Juilliard, The Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood, Brooklyn College, Bard College, and Yale University, among other appointments. He was Connecticut's State Composer Laureate.STATE OF CONNECTICUT, Sites º Seals º Symbols ; Connecticut State Register & Manual; retrieved on January 4, 2007

Druckman died of lung cancer at age 67 in New Haven, Connecticut. His music is published by Boosey & Hawkes. He is the father of percussionist Daniel Druckman.

The Aspen Music Festival gives out the Jacob Druckman award in his honor each festival season. The reward is given to an up-and-coming composer, who is then commissioned to write a piece to be performed in the next festival season.

Notable musicians who recorded his works include David Zinman, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Zubin Mehta, Leonard Slatkin, Dawn Upshaw, Jan DeGaetani, the Dorian Wind Quintet, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the American Brass Quintet.

Notable students

Major works

String Quartet No. 1 (1948) The Seven Deadly Sins (1955), for piano Dark Upon the Harp (1961–1962), for mezzo-soprano, brass, and percussion. Setting of texts from the Biblical Psalms. String Quartet No. 2 (1966) Animus I (1966–1967), for trombone and electronic tape Animus II (1967–1968), for mezzo-soprano, percussion and electronic tape Animus III (1968), for clarinet and electronic tape Incenters (1968), for 13 Instruments Valentine (1969), for solo contrabass Synapse (1971), for tape Windows (1972), for orchestra Delizie Contente Che l'Alme Beate After Cavalli (1973), for wind quintet and tape Lamia (1975), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra. "The texts," according to the composer, "range from the most terrifying damnings of ancient witches to the most innocent folkloric dream-conjuration of provincial maidens."Druckman, Jacob. Jacob Druckman: Lamia / That Quickening Pulse / Delizie Contente Che L'Alme Beate / Nor Spell Nor Charm / Suite from Médée. Essay from CD album booklet. Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Other Voices (1976), for brass quintet Aureole (1979), for orchestra Prism (1980), for orchestra; draws on melodies from the operas of Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Francesco Cavalli, and Luigi Cherubini String Quartet No. 3 (1981) Vox Humana (1983), for chorus and orchestra Reflections on the Nature of Water (1986), for solo marimba Brangle (1988–1989), for orchestra Antiphonies, for two choruses; setting of poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Nor Spell Nor Charm (1990), for chamber orchestra Summer Lightning (1991), for orchestra Seraphic Games (1992), for orchestra Counterpoise (1994), for soprano and orchestra

References

Further reading Clarkson, Austin, and Steven Johnson. 2001. "Druckman, Jacob Raphael". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell. London: Macmillan Publishers. Dufallo, Richard. 1989. Trackings: Composers Speak with Richard Dufallo. New York: Oxford University Press. Gagne, Cole and Tracy Caras. 1982. Soundpieces: Interviews with American Composers. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. Griffiths, Paul. 2002. "Druckman, Jacob". The Oxford Companion to Music, edited by Alison Latham. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press.

External links The Jacob Druckman Papers, the composer's personal papers and manuscripts, are housed in the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Biography at Boosey and Hawkes Publisher has FLAC files made from high-quality LP transcriptions of out-of-print vocal, instrumental, and electroacoustic works by Druckman available for free download. Interview with Jacob Druckman, March 22, 1989