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 CYCLES perc,2pf,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum CYGNOLOGY vc,pic/fl,cl/bcl,str
    Elias Tanenbaum DIVERTIMENTO FOR STRING ORCHESTRA, PIANO, AND PERCUSSION strings, piano, timpani, perc
    Elias Tanenbaum DUO for GUITAR and VIOLA gtr, vla
    Elias Tanenbaum DUO FOR TWO CLARINETS IN B FLAT 2 Bb clarinets
    Elias Tanenbaum EXCITEMENT fl,cl,tpt,hn,chorus,pf,perc
    Elias Tanenbaum EXTENSIONS ww qnt(1-1-1-1,hn),tape
    Elias Tanenbaum FALLUJAH for Saxophone Quartet Bb soprano sax, Eb alto Sax, Bb tenor sax, Eb Baritone sax
    Elias Tanenbaum FAMILIES OF SON MY, THE satb,tape and also version for women's chorus and tape
    Elias Tanenbaum FANTASY - Four Harps and Tape 4 hps,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum FANTASY Violin and Tape vln,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum FANTASIA for Violin and Piano vln,pf
    Elias Tanenbaum FIRST BASS MAN solo contrabass, orch
    Elias Tanenbaum Flying Upsala Ballet
    Elias Tanenbaum FLIGHT pf,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum FOUR OF US, THE 4cb
    Elias Tanenbaum FOUR PIECES solo speaking voice,pf
    Elias Tanenbaum FURTHER REFLECTIONS
    pf,vln,vcl,tape
    Elias Tanenbaum GUITARS 4 or more gtrs
    Elias Tanenbaum GUITAR-1975 gtr
    Elias Tanenbaum GuitarPerc guitar and percussion(1)
    guitar, marimba, 2 small susp cymbals, bongos, 4 temple blocks
    Elias Tanenbaum Guitarscape - New York solo guitar
    Elias Tanenbaum Hazy Light String Quartet
    Elias Tanenbaum HIROSHIMA 2pt chil chor,pf,school band & rhythm band
    Elias Tanenbaum IMAGES female voice,pf,perc,tape

    Additional Works