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.

ACE Publications

133 title(s)
Composer Title SCORING/INSTRUMENTATION Year
Elias Tanenbaum Again tpt, hn, bstbn
Elias Tanenbaum ALLEGRO FOR ORCHESTRA 2222 4221 timp, perc (1), string section
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 ARCHIVAL MATERIALS - SKETCHES AND MANUSCRIPTS
Elias Tanenbaum ARP ART - Four Pieces for 2-track Tape tape
Elias Tanenbaum Back Viola, Guitar
Elias Tanenbaum BELLS AND THINGS
percussion (4)
Elias Tanenbaum BIRTHDAY WAVES orch: 2-2-2-2; 4-3-3-1; 2perc; str
Elias Tanenbaum BLURRED VISIONS fl/alfl/pic, perc, hp, vla
Elias Tanenbaum Bring Em On String Quartet
Elias Tanenbaum BUBBLE IN MY EYE tbn,pf,perc
Elias Tanenbaum CANON FOR STRING ORCHESTRA vn1,vn2,va,vc,db
Elias Tanenbaum CAPE COD GIRLS vn1,vn2,va,vc,db,pf (oversized score)
Elias Tanenbaum CHAMBER PIECE NO.1 fl,cl,perc,pf,vcl
Elias Tanenbaum CLARINET FANFARE 2 cl, bscl
Elias Tanenbaum CLARINET TRIO WITH TAPE cl,vln,vcl,tape
Elias Tanenbaum COLUMBUS orch: 3-3-3-3, 4-3-3-1, timp, 5perc, tape, hp, str
Elias Tanenbaum COMING TOGETHER tbn,vln
Elias Tanenbaum COMING TOGETHER AGAIN (Quartet) vln, cb, bstbn (also plays woodblock with snare stick), piano
Elias Tanenbaum CONCERTANTE NO.1 orch:2pic/fl,2,2,2-cbsn, 4-3-3-1,timp,perc,hp,str
Elias Tanenbaum CONCERTANTE NO.2 orch:2-2-ehn-2-bcl-2-cbsn,4-3-3-1, timp,2perc,hp,str
Elias Tanenbaum CONSORT fl, ehn, alsax, el gtr, perc(1) ,vcl, cb
Elias Tanenbaum Contradictions Tape
Elias Tanenbaum CONTRASTS FOR TEACHER & PUPIL pf 4-hands

Additional Works