Lewin, David (Benjamin)

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Lewin, David (Benjamin)

Lewin, David (Benjamin), American music theorist, teacher, and composer; b. N.Y., July 2,1933. He studied piano, harmony, and composition with Steuermann (1945-50), mathematics at Harvard Univ. (B.A., 1954), and theory and composition with Sessions, Babbitt, Kim, and Cone at Princeton Univ. (M.F.A., 1958); also undertook further graduate work at Yale Univ. (M.A., 1980). He taught at the Univ. of Calif. at Berkeley (1961-67), the State Univ. of N.Y. at Stony Brook (1967-80), and Yale Univ. (1979-85), and then was a prof. at Harvard Univ. (from 1985). He held a Guggenheim fellowship (1983-84). He was president of the Soc. for Music Theory (1985-88). Lewin wrote numerous articles for various learned journals.

Works

4 Short Pieces for String Quartet (1956; rev. 1969); Viola Sonata (1957-58); Essay on a Subject by Webern for Chamber Orch. (1958); Classical Variations on a Theme by Schoenberg for Cello and Piano (1960); 2 Studies for Computer (1961); Fantasia for Organ (1962); 5 Characteristic Pieces for 2 Pianos (1964); Fantasy-Adagio for Violin and Orch. (1963-66); Quartet Piece for String Quartet (1969); Woodwind Trio (1969); Computer Music for Computer (1970-71); Just a Minute, Roger for Piano (1978); Fanfare for Bass Clarinet, Cello, and Piano (1980); For Piano for Piano (1982); songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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