Schuman, William

Leonard Bernstein said the human qualities of American composer William Schuman’s work were “compassion, fidelity, insight, and total honesty.” In the 1960s, the New York Times called William Schuman the most powerful figure in art music. Born in 1910, Schuman wrote eight symphonies, concerti, and even a baseball opera, Casey at the Bat. Winner of the 1943 Pulitzer Prize for Music, he taught at Sarah Lawrence College, and was President of The Julliard School from 1945 to 1961. Schuman was responsible for founding the Juilliard String Quartet, shaping the creation of Lincoln Center, and he was everyone’s best friend! This 4th of July week of Exploring Music is guided by Joseph Polisi’s book “American Muse: The Life and Times of William Schuman.”