Amy Scurria facts for kids

Amy Scurria (born September 24, 1973) is an American composer. This means she writes music! She has created many different pieces that have been played all over the world.

Who is Amy Scurria?

Amy Scurria grew up in a military family. From a very young age, she loved music. She even memorized her older sister Jackie's piano lessons! When she was 11, Amy started taking piano lessons using the Suzuki method, which is a special way of learning music. Around this time, she also began writing her own music.

Amy's Education and Teachers

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

She learned from many talented teachers, including Chen Yi, Robert Sirota, Narcis Bonet, Anthony Kelley, and Stephen Jaffe.

Where Her Music Has Been Played

Amy Scurria's music has been performed in many countries. You can hear her compositions in the United States, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, France, and Japan. In 2001, she was a "composer-in-residence" at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. This means she worked there for a time, creating music and sharing her knowledge.

Amy's Family Life

In 2004, Amy Scurria married Zane Corriher. They have a daughter named Lily, who also loves to compose music!

Awards and Recognitions

Amy Scurria has received many awards for her musical talents:

• Duke University Evan Frankel Fellowship Recipient
• Duke University Aleane Webb Dissertation Research Award
• Duke University Summer Research Fellowship Recipient
• 1991 Northern Virginia Composition Competition
• 1998 Haddonfield Young Composers' Competition
• ASCAP Award Recipient, 1999–present (ASCAP is a group that supports music creators)
• Winner of Haddonfield Young Composers Competition for her piece Beyond All Walking in 1998
• Her music was featured at the National Convention for Women in the Arts at Rice University in 1996
• Winner of the N. VA Composition Competition in 1990
• Received "Superior" ratings in National and State Piano Guild competitions from 1988 to 1991

Some of Her Compositions

Here are some of the musical pieces Amy Scurria has written:

• Beyond All Walking for Full Orchestra (1998)
• A Prayer for SATB Choir (1999)
• And He Shall Be Like a Tree for SATB Choir and Organ/Piano (2000)
• We Are Met at Gettysburg for full orchestra (2003) 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)