Bolcom’s Suite of Preludes was given its World Premiere in October 2021 at Hudson Hall in Hudson, New York by Steinway Artist Jenny Lin. Composed during the Coronavirus lockdown, this nine-movement suite is comprised of miniatures that reveal the personal side of Bolcom - they contain elements of humor, obscure thematic quotes, jazz chords - all within the European American style for which the composer is known.
Read moreWelcome
National Medal of Arts, Pulitzer Prize, and Grammy Award-winner William Bolcom (born May 26, 1938) is an American composer of chamber, operatic, vocal, choral, cabaret, ragtime, and symphonic music.
He joined the faculty of the University of Michigan's School of Music in 1973, was named the Ross Lee Finney Distinguished University Professor of Composition in 1994, and retired in 2008 after 35 years. Bolcom won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1988 for 12 New Etudes for Piano, and his setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience on the Naxos label won four Grammy Awards in 2005.
As a pianist Bolcom has performed and recorded his own work frequently in collaboration with his wife and musical partner, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris. Cabaret songs, show tunes, and American popular songs of the 20th century have been their primary specialties in both concerts and recordings. Their 25th album, "Autumn Leaves," was released in 2015.
In 2018, nine world premieres of Bolcom works commemorated William Bolcom's 80th birthday.
Updates...
New York Times: Decades Later, a Composer Revisits the Piano Concerto
William Bolcom’s recent work, written for the pianist Igor Levit, is streaming after its premiere earlier this year.
Read moreFischer Duo releases 2020 VISIONS, featuring Bolcom's Second Sonata
New recording from the Fischer Duo celebrates the piano-cello group’s 50 years of performances together.
Read moreBolcom's Piano Concerto No. 2 premiered in Heidelberg
On April 20, 2022, The Mahler Chamber Orchestra gave the world premiere of William Bolcom's Piano Concerto No. 2 at their annual residency at the Heidelberger Frühling festival.
Read moreNew Release: Concerto Grosso for Saxophone Quartet and Band
William Bolcom’s Concerto Grosso for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra was commissioned by the PRISM Quartet. A new recording by the PRISM Quartet and Temple University Wind Symphony is now available for streaming and download.
Read moreDiscography
Calendar
Graceful Ghost Rag (Roomful of Pianos)
NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA
(Postponed from 2022 due to supply chain issues) -- Over the past four years, Roomful of Pianos has become a highly anticipated event at The NAMM Show, bringing unforgettable performances for 10 pianos, 20 pianos, even 40 pianos to the show’s international audience of 110,000 music industry attendees. Graceful Ghost Rag (arr. John S. Hord) will be featured in concert by an ensemble of 30 pianists, in Lounge 88 at the Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, CA). Exact Date/Time/Place TBA.