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 IMAGES 3 ('My Fellow Americans') sop,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum IMPOSITION, THE (An Opera in 1 Act) sop,bar,narr, cl,perc,vcl,pf
    Elias Tanenbaum IMPROVISATONS brass 5tet: 2tpt, hn, 2tbn
    Elias Tanenbaum INTERRUPTIONS orch:2-2-ehn-2-bcl-2-cbsn,4-3-3-1, timp,perc,str--w/jazz ens:tpt,alsax,amplified vln,amplified bass, drms vib,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum JAMMIN' 4 guitars
    Elias Tanenbaum JAZZ SET
    ten sax, tpt, drm, pf, cb, tape
    Elias Tanenbaum KALEIDOSCOPE str orch, tape
    Elias Tanenbaum KEEP GOING, BY GEORGE Sop, Vln, Bs Vln, Pf, Perc (1)
    Elias Tanenbaum Ko Ballet
    Elias Tanenbaum LAND BORN OF GRASS sop,alfl,perc,vla,tape,dancer(opt.)
    Elias Tanenbaum Landscape with Chants Tape
    Elias Tanenbaum LAST LETTERS FROM STALINGRAD Baritone, Guitar (also plays piano and perc), Viola (also plays Perc), 1 Perc
    voice + instrumental trio
    Elias Tanenbaum LAST OF THE JUST, THE Double satb & orch:2/pic/alfl- 2-ehn-2-bcl-2-cbsn-alsax,4-3-3-1,timp,perc,hp,vib,glock,str
    Elias Tanenbaum Lazer Light percussion
    Elias Tanenbaum Lies of War B flat Clarinet, Guitar, Bass Violin
    Elias Tanenbaum Light and Dark Ballet
    Elias Tanenbaum LITANY II fl,cl,tpt,hn,chorus,pf,perc
    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 MORE WAVES gtr
    Elias Tanenbaum Mostly Five
    Elias Tanenbaum MOVEMENTS vc on tape
    Elias Tanenbaum MUSIC FOR 2 PIANOS 2pf

    Additional Works