Laura Clayton facts for kids
Laura Clayton, born on December 8, 1943, is an American musician. She is known as a talented pianist and a composer who writes her own music.
Contents
About Laura Clayton
Laura Clayton grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. She loved music from a young age. She studied at several famous music schools. These included the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and Columbia University in New York City. She also learned from important composers like Mario Davidovsky and Darius Milhaud. She earned a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory in Boston. Later, she lived in Brazil for a while. She then continued her studies at the University of Michigan, where she earned a special doctorate degree in music.
After finishing her education, Laura Clayton became a professional composer. In 1980, one of her musical pieces was chosen to represent the United States. This was at a big international event for composers called the International Rostrum of Composers.
Her music often sounds very rhythmic and has a "mysterious" feeling. She gets ideas for her music from nature. For example, her piece Cree Songs for the Newborn was inspired by poems. This work was chosen to represent the USA at the 1980 UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers in Paris.
Awards and Recognition
Laura Clayton has received many important awards for her music. These awards show how talented and respected she is as a composer. Some of her honors include:
- 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
Her Musical Works
Laura Clayton has written many different types of music. Her compositions include pieces for small groups of instruments, full orchestras, and even music that uses tape recordings.
Chamber Music
Chamber music is written for a small group of instruments. It's like music for a small room or "chamber."
- Mobile no. 2, for voice and piano (1975)
- O Train Azul for guitar (1977)
- Cree Songs to the Newborn for Soprano voice and chamber orchestra (1987)
- Passagio, for piano (1978)
- Herself the Tide, for Soprano voice and piano (1981)
- Panels, for chamber ensemble (1983)
- Clara's Sea, for women's voices (1988)
- Joie, for piano (1990)
Orchestral Music
Orchestral music is written for a large group of musicians, like a symphony orchestra.
- Sagarama with piano (1984)
- Terra Lucida (1988)
Tape Music
Tape music uses sounds that are recorded on tape. These sounds can be played back and sometimes mixed with live instruments or dancers.
- Implosure for two dancers, slide, and tape (1977)
- Simichai-ya, for saxophone, echoplex, and tape (1987)
