Miriam Gideon facts for kids

Miriam Gideon (born October 23, 1906 – died June 18, 1996) was an American composer. She was known for her unique musical style. She created many pieces, especially for voices.

Miriam Gideon's Life Story

Miriam Gideon was born in Greeley, Colorado, on October 23, 1906. She loved music from a young age. She learned to play the organ from her uncle, Henry Gideon. She also studied the piano with Felix Fox.

Miriam continued her musical education. She learned about harmony and counterpoint. These are important parts of how music is put together. She also studied composition, which is the art of creating music. Her teachers included Lazare Saminsky and Roger Sessions.

After studying with Roger Sessions, Miriam changed her musical approach. She moved away from traditional "tonality." This means music that has a clear home key. Instead, she started writing in a "freely atonal" style. This style explores sounds without sticking to a main key.

Teaching and Career

Miriam Gideon moved to New York City. There, she began teaching music. She taught at Brooklyn College from 1944 to 1954. She also taught at City College from 1947 to 1955.

In 1955, she was invited to teach at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Later, from 1967 to 1991, she taught at the Manhattan School of Music. City College hired her again in 1971 as a full professor. She retired from teaching in 1976.

Personal Life and Challenges

In 1949, Miriam Gideon married Frederic Ewen. He was a professor at Brooklyn College. Both Miriam and Frederic had strong political beliefs.

In the 1950s, Frederic Ewen faced questions from a government committee. He chose not to answer these questions. Because of this, he left his job. Miriam Gideon's work was also looked into by the FBI. In 1954 and 1955, she decided to leave her teaching jobs at City College and Brooklyn College.

Musical Achievements

Miriam Gideon wrote a lot of music for voices. She often set her music to poems and texts. Some of the writers she used include Francis Thompson and Anne Bradstreet.

Some of her well-known pieces are Lyric Piece for Strings (1942) and Mixco (1957). She also composed Adon Olom and Of Shadows Numberless (1966). Her opera, Fortunato, was written in 1958. It was later published in 2013.

In 1975, Miriam Gideon made history. She became the second woman to join the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This is a very respected group of artists. The first woman to join was Louise Talma in 1974.

Miriam Gideon passed away in New York City on June 18, 1996.

The Miriam Gideon Prize

The International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) honors Miriam Gideon. They offer the Miriam Gideon Prize every year. This prize is for female college students who are members of IAWM.

To apply, students must be 50 years old or older. They need to submit a new, original musical piece. This piece must be for voice and piano, or for voice and a small group of instruments.

Miriam Gideon's Compositions

Here is a list of some of Miriam Gideon's musical works:

• ADON OLOM (1957) - for voices and instruments
• ADON OLOM (1958) - for voices and piano or organ
• AIR FOR VIOLIN & PIANO (1950)
• AYELET HASHAKHAR (Morning Star) SONGS OF CHILDHOOD ON HEBREW TEXTS (1990) - for medium voice and piano
• BELLS (1966) - for low or medium voice and piano
• BÖHMISCHER KRYSTALL (1988) - for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, or soprano and piano
• DIVERTIMENTO for Wind Quartet (1957) - for flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon
• ECLOGUE (1990) - for flute and piano
• EPITAPHS FROM ROBERT BURNS (1952) - for high or low voice with piano
• FANTASY ON IRISH FOLK-MOTIVES (1975) - for oboe, bassoon (or cello), viola, and percussion
• FAREWELL TABLET TO AGATHOCLES (from 'Songs of Voyage') (1961) - for medium voice and piano
• FORTUNATO (A Chamber Opera in 3 Scenes) (1958) - for piano and vocal soloists
• GERMAN SONGS (1937) - for high or low voice and piano
• HABITABLE EARTH, THE (Cantata) (1966) - for solo voices, mixed choir, oboe, and piano or organ
• HOMMAGE A MA JEUNESSE (To My Youth) Sonatina for Two Pianos (1935)
• THE HOUND OF HEAVEN (1945) - for voice and instrumental chamber ensemble
• LITTLE IVORY FIGURES PULLED WITH STRING (1950) - for medium voice (some spoken, some sung) and guitar
• LOCKUNG (1937) - for high voice and piano
• LYRIC PIECE (1941) - for string orchestra
• LYRIC PIECE (1955) - for string quartet
• MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH (1957) - for SATB choir
• MIXCO (1957) - for voice and piano (high, medium, and low versions)
• OF SHADOWS NUMBERLESS (Suite) (1966) - for piano
• POET TO POET (Song Cycle for High Voice and Piano) (1987)
• QUARTET, for Strings (1946)
• RONDO APPASSIONATO (1990) - for piano, percussion, and cello
• SHE WEEPS OVER RAHOON (1940) - for high voice and piano
• SIX CUCKOOS IN QUEST OF A COMPOSER (1957) - for piano
• SLOW, SLOW FRESH FOUNT - for TTBB choir
• SLOW, SLOW FRESH FOUNT - for SATB choir
• SONATA FOR CELLO AND PIANO (1991)
• SONATA FOR PIANO (1983)
• SONATA FOR VIOLA & PIANO (1957)
• SONGS OF VOYAGE (1964) - for high or low voice and piano
• SONNETS FROM FATAL INTERVIEW (1961) - for mezzo soprano and piano
• SONNETS FROM FATAL INTERVIEW (1961) - for mezzo soprano, violin, viola, and cello
• SONNETS FROM SHAKESPEARE (1986) - for medium low voice and piano
• SONNETS FROM SHAKESPEARE (1986) - for high or low voice, trumpet, and string quartet or string orchestra
• STEEDS OF DARKNESS (1990) - for high voice, flute, oboe, percussion, cello, and piano
• SUITE FOR CLARINET AND PIANO (1972) - for clarinet (or bassoon) and piano
• SWEET WESTERN WIND (1956) - for SATB choir
• SYMPHONIA BREVIS (1953) - for orchestra
• TANGO LANGOROSO - for piano
• THREE BIBLICAL MASKS (1958) - for organ solo
• THREE BIBLICAL MASKS (for Purim) (1979) - for violin and piano
• THREE CORNERED PIECES (1935) - for piano (for young musicians)
• TO MUSIC (1990) - for high, medium, or low voice with piano
• THE TOO-LATE BORN (1939) - for high voice and piano
• TRIO (1978) - for clarinet, cello, and piano
• VERGIFTET SIND MEINE LIEDER (1937) - for high voice and piano
• VOICES FROM ELYSIUM (1984) - for high voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano
• WHERE WILD CARNATIONS BLOW (A Song to David) - for solo voices, mixed choir, and chamber orchestra
• A WOMAN OF VALOR (EISHET CHAYIL) (1982) - for medium voice and piano