Amy Scurria facts for kids

Amy Scurria (born September 24, 1973) is an American composer. A composer is someone who writes music.

About Amy Scurria

Early Life and Education

Amy Scurria grew up in a military family. From a young age, she showed a strong interest in music. She even memorized her older sister Jackie's piano lessons! When Amy was 11, she started taking piano lessons herself using the Suzuki method. This is a way of learning music by listening and imitating, much like how children learn to speak. It was around this time that she also began writing her own music.

Amy continued her music studies in college. She earned her bachelor's degree in composition from Rice University in Houston, Texas, in 1995. Later, in 1998, she received her master's degree in composition from Johns Hopkins University. She completed her highest degree, a doctoral degree, in 2015 from Duke University in Durham. Amy Scurria also had the chance to study music in Paris, France, at a special school called La Schola Cantorum.

Musical Journey

During her studies, Amy Scurria learned from many talented teachers, including Chen Yi, Robert Sirota, Narcis Bonet, Anthony Kelley, and Stephen Jaffe. Her music has been performed and enjoyed by audiences in many different countries, such as the United States, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, France, and Japan. In 2001, she was a special guest composer at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. This means she spent time there writing music and sharing her knowledge.

Family Life

In 2004, Amy Scurria married Zane Corriher. They have a daughter named Lily, who is also following in her mother's footsteps as a composer!

Achievements and Recognition

Amy Scurria has received many honors and awards for her musical talents. These include:

• Special fellowships (awards) from Duke University, like the Evan Frankel Fellowship and the Summer Research Fellowship.
• The Aleane Webb Dissertation Research Award from Duke University.
• Winning the Northern Virginia Composition Competition in 1991.
• Winning the Haddonfield Young Composers' Competition in 1998 for her piece Beyond All Walking.
• Receiving awards from ASCAP (a major music organization) every year since 1999.
• Having her music featured at the National Convention for Women in the Arts at Rice University in 1996.
• Earning superior ratings in the National and State Piano Guild competitions from 1988 to 1991.

Musical Compositions

Amy Scurria has written many different kinds of musical pieces. Here are some of her selected works:

• Beyond All Walking (1998) – written for a full orchestra.
• A Prayer (1999) – composed for an SATB choir (a group of singers with soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices).
• And He Shall Be Like a Tree (2000) – for an SATB choir with organ or piano.
• We Are Met at Gettysburg (2003) – another piece for full orchestra, created with Steve Heitzeg.
• Adaptations (2007)
• La Loba (2008)
• Tiamat (2008)
• Something Borrowed, Something Blue (2008)
• What the Soul Remembers (2009)
• Esperanza Rising (2009)
• Pearl: An Opera in Two Acts (2015) – an opera is a play where most of the words are sung.