bio

Morris Rosenzweig was born October 1, 1952 in New Orleans, where he grew up among the tailors, merchants, and strong-willed women of an extended family which has lived in southern Louisiana since the mid 1890s.

His works have been widely presented throughout the United States, as well as in Denmark, Sweden, Holland, France, Germany, Japan, Argentina, Mexico and Israel. Among the noted ensembles who have brought these works to life are Speculum Musicae, "Piano and Percussion-Stuttgart", The New York New Music Ensemble, the Chamber Players of the League-ISCM, EARPLAY, NOVA, Philippe Entremont with the New Orleans Symphony, and Joseph Silverstein with the Utah Symphony.

His recorded compositions are available on Albany Records: Troy 1216, Troy 907, Troy 710, New World/CRI 705, New World/CRI 787, and Centaur 2103.

Rosenzweig's catalog of over 75 entries features works for orchestra, various chamber ensembles, compositions for live instruments and electronics, two song cycles, two piano cycles, solo pieces, and one opera.

Mr. Rosenzweig has received honors from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation for a residency at Bellagio, an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a commission from the Koussevitzky Foundation in the Library of Congress, a commission the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University, and the support from the Alice M. Ditson Fund for two recording projects; He has also been awarded the McCurdy, Nietche, Rappoport, and the International Horn Society prizes in composition.

The University of Utah named him University Professor in 1999, and additionally honored him with a Distinguished Scholarly and Creative Research Award in 2003.

Mr. Rosenzweig is an active conductor and coach, and has worked for many years with the Chamber Players of the League-ISCM in New York and the Canyonlands Ensemble in Utah.

Presently Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of Utah -- where he teaches composition, theory, contemporary performance practice, and directs the Maurice Abravanel Visiting Distinguished Composers Series -- he has formerly held positions at Queens College and New York University. A frequently-invited speaker, he has given colloquia at Harvard, Columbia, Brandeis, Stony Brook, and Christopher Newport University, among others, and served as Guest Composer at the Composers Conference at Wellesley.

He was educated at the Eastman School of Music, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University. Morris Rosenzweig lives in Salt Lake City with his wife Mary Jane, and sons Jacob and Max.

recent happenings

The New York Music Ensemble commissioned two works from him - Past Light, and Rough Sleepers - which were given multiple performances, including those in Belgium, Los Angeles and New York. Tim Ruedeman commissioned Yeah U Rite!, premiered it at the Issue Project Room and has performed it on several subsequent concerts, John Sampen has scheduled this same work for an upcoming showcase concert, reprise was performed at Merkin Concert Hall by WCSMS, Da Lives ah da Saints was commissioned by Daniel Lippel who performed it at Brooklyn's Listen Space, 2005 and Counting was commissioned by DUO X who premiered it in Holland then performed it again in Tokyo. A Table of The Most Used Chords was commissioned by Intermezzo, premiered by the horn section of The Utah Symphony, and subsequently performed by the University of Illinois Horn Quartet. Eric Huebner performed 4 pieces from Points and Tales at the Tenri Cultural Center.

Links
University of Utah
U of U School of Music
Guggenheim Foundation
Carlton Vickers
Albany Records
Centaur Records