Mary Jeanne van Appledorn facts for kids

Mary Jeanne van Appledorn (born October 2, 1927, in Holland, Michigan – died December 12, 2014, in Lubbock, Texas) was an American composer and pianist. She wrote many pieces of contemporary classical music and was also a talented piano player.

Her Life and Music Career

Mary Jeanne van Appledorn went to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. There, she learned to play the piano and studied music theory with famous teachers like Bernard Rogers and Alan Hovhaness. She earned several degrees, including her Ph.D. in music theory in 1966. Later, in 1982, she studied how to create music using computers at MIT.

From 1950 to 2008, she taught music at Texas Tech University. She was a very respected professor there for many years.

Mary Jeanne van Appledorn wrote a lot of music for different instruments and groups. She even created computer music. Important groups like the Music Teachers National Association and National Intercollegiate Bands asked her to compose special pieces for them.

Her family name, Van Appledorn, comes from the Dutch town of Apeldoorn. Her great-grandparents moved to the United States from the Netherlands. She even visited Apeldoorn herself in 1982.

What Her Music Was Like

Most of Mary Jeanne van Appledorn's music had a clear musical key, which is called "tonal" music. However, she also used a special method called the twelve-tone technique, which uses all 12 notes in a musical scale equally. In her piano music, she often used "string piano techniques," which means playing directly on the piano strings to create unique sounds.

Her music was recorded by different music labels, and her musical scores (the written versions of her music) were published by many companies.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Mary Jeanne van Appledorn received several awards for her musical achievements:

• Premier Prix
• Dijon
• Texas Composers Guild
• ASCAP Standard Panel Awards

Some of Her Works

For Orchestra

• Concerto brevis (1954)
• A Choreographic Ov. (for band) (1957)
• Conc. (for trumpet) (1960)
• Passacaglia and Chorale (1973)
• Lux 'Legend of Sankta Lucia' (for band, harp, percussion, handbells) (1981)
• Terrestrial Music (for violin, piano, strings) (1992)
• Cycles of Moon and Tides (for band) (1995)
• Rhapsody (for violin, orchestra) (1996)
• Music of Enchantment (for Native American flute, strings, percussion) (1997)

For Smaller Groups and Solo Instruments

• Cellano Rhapsody (for cello) (1948)
• Burlesca (for brass, percussion, piano) (1951)
• Patterns (for 5 French horns) (1956)
• Matrices (for saxophone, piano) (1979)
• Cacophony (for wind instruments, percussion, toys) (1980)
• Liquid Gold (for saxophone, piano) (1982)
• 4 Duos (for 2 alto saxophones) (1985)
• 4 Duos (for viola, cello) (1986)
• Sonic Mutation (for harp) (1987)
• Cornucopia (for trumpet) (1988)
• Sonatina (for clarinet, piano) (1988)
• Ayre (for clarinet or saxophone ensemble, viol ensemble, strings) (1989)
• Three for Two (for 2 recorders or flutes) (1989)
• Windsongs (for brass quintet) (1991)
• Incantations (for trumpet, piano) (1992)
• Atmosphere (for trombone ensemble) (1993)
• Postcards to John (for guitar) (1993)
• Rhapsody (for trumpet, harp) (1993)
• Reeds Afire (for clarinet, bassoon) (1994)
• Sound the Tpt! (for trumpet, organ) (1994)
• Trio Italiano (for trumpet, French horn, bass trombone) (1995)
• Passages (for trombone, piano) (1996)
• A Native American Mosaic (for Native American flute) (1997)
• Incantations (for oboe, piano) (1998)
• Passages II (for trombone, percussion) (1998)

For Piano

• Contrasts (1947)
• Set of Five (1953)
• Sonnet (for organ) (1959)
• 3 Pf Pieces (1972)
• 6 Pf Pieces (1972)
• Scenes from Pecos Country (1972)
• Elegy for Pepe (1982)
• A Liszt Fantasie (1984)
• Freedom of Youth (for speaker, synthesizer) (1986)
• Set of Seven (dance score) (1988)
• Parquet musique (for harpsichord) (1990)
• Variations on Jerusalem the Golden (for organ) (1996)

For Carillon

A carillon is a musical instrument with many bells, played using a keyboard.

• Suite (1976)
• A Celestial Clockwork (1983)
• Caprice (1988)
• Tower Music (1990)
• Skybells (1991)

Vocal Music

For Choirs

• Tears (1952)
• 2 Shakespeare Songs (for chorus, piano) (1953)
• Peter Quince at the Clavier (for speaker, female voices, flute, oboe, French horn, piano) (1958)
• Darest Thou Now, O Soul (for female voices, organ) (1975)
• West Texas Suite (for chorus, band, percussion) (1976)
• Rising Night After Night (for speaker, soprano, tenor, baritone, 2 choruses, orchestra) (1978)
• Spirit Divine (for chorus, organ) (1986)
• Love Divine All Loves Excelling (for SATB choir, organ) (1988)
• Les hommes vidés (for SATB choir) (1994)

For Solo Voice

• I Hear America Singing (words by W. Whitman) (for 1 voice, piano) (1952)
• Communiqué (for 1 voice, piano) (1960)
• Azaleas (for baritone flute, piano) (1980)
• Missa brevis (for 1 voice, trumpet, organ) (1987)

See also

In Spanish: Mary Jeanne van Appledorn para niños