Elias Tanenbaum

Biography

Born in 1924 in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Tanenbaum studied trumpet at an early age and played with many jazz bands. After serving with the U.S. Army in World War II, he received a B.S. from the Juilliard School of Music in 1949, and an M.A. from Columbia University. He studied composition with Dante Fiorillo, Bohuslav Martinu, Otto Luening and Wallingford Riegger. Mr. Tanenbaum composed over 100 works in all idioms. Works include music for concert, jazz, theater, television, ballet and electronic and comptuer music. His music has been performed extensively throught this country, Europe and Japan by orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonia, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Westchester Philharmonic and many other performing groups. His many awards and grants include a WCBS commission, a MacDowell Fellowship, a commission from the Chicago Symphony, two Composers Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1974 and 1989, a Ford Foundation Recording Grant in 1970, an American Composers Allience Recording Award in 1975 and 1979, Composers Grant from the New York State Foundation for the Arts in 1989 and numerous "Meet the Composer" grants. Mr. Tanenbaum was the Founding Director of the Electronic Computer Music Studio and a member of the composition faculty at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He held that post from 1970 until his retirement. In addition, Mr. Tanenbaum was a visiting composer at the California Institute for the Arts in 1983 and a visiting lecturer at Stuttgart Conservatory in 1993. He was married to pianist Mary Tanenbaum in 1952. They have two children, David and Jacob, and three grandchildren. He was awarded the purple heart in 1944.

  • piano
  • ACE Publications

    37 title(s)
    Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
    Elias Tanenbaum ALPHA chorus,soloists,orch:fl/pic/alfl,cl,alsax,tpt, tbn,pf,2perc,str(qnt or orch),tape
    Elias Tanenbaum ANDANTE & ALLEGRO tpt,pf
    Elias Tanenbaum BUBBLE IN MY EYE tbn,pf,perc
    Elias Tanenbaum CHAMBER PIECE NO.1 fl,cl,perc,pf,vcl
    Elias Tanenbaum COMING TOGETHER AGAIN (Quartet) vln, cb, bstbn (also plays woodblock with snare stick), piano
    Elias Tanenbaum DIVERTIMENTO FOR STRING ORCHESTRA, PIANO, AND PERCUSSION strings, piano, timpani, perc
    Elias Tanenbaum FANTASIA for Violin and Piano vln,pf
    Elias Tanenbaum FLIGHT pf,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum FOUR PIECES solo speaking voice,pf
    Elias Tanenbaum FURTHER REFLECTIONS
    pf,vln,vcl,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum HIROSHIMA 2pt chil chor,pf,school band & rhythm band
    Elias Tanenbaum IMAGES female voice,pf,perc,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum IMPOSITION, THE (An Opera in 1 Act) sop,bar,narr, cl,perc,vcl,pf
    Elias Tanenbaum JAZZ SET
    ten sax, tpt, drm, pf, cb, tape
    Elias Tanenbaum KEEP GOING, BY GEORGE Sop, Vln, Bs Vln, Pf, Perc (1)
    Elias Tanenbaum LITTLE SERENADE pf
    Elias Tanenbaum MEMORY pf, tape
    Elias Tanenbaum MEMORIES AND REMEMBRANCE 2 (Parker Variations) pf,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum MIRAGE & INCANTATIONS fem vc,cl,pf,vln,vcl,tp
    Elias Tanenbaum Mostly Five
    Elias Tanenbaum MUSIC FOR PIANO pf
    Elias Tanenbaum NOVE fl/pic/alfl,cl/alsax,bsn,tpt,tbn,perc,pf,vln,cb
    Elias Tanenbaum Octatonic Haze
    Elias Tanenbaum Passion for an Athiest String quintet, 2 percussion, piano
    Elias Tanenbaum PIANO MUSIC pf

    Additional Works