"Ten years after the death of Steven Stucky, the Given Foundation Professor of Music Emeritus, the Department of Music is honoring the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and beloved Cornell professor with a series of concerts that highlight both his legacy and the creativity he sparked in generations of students. Stucky, whose portrait hangs in the atrium of Klarman Hall beside one of Toni Morrison, shaped Cornell's musical community for more than three decades."
"The four events honoring him this semester - spanning intimate recitals, premieres and a large Reunion‑weekend concert - reflect the breadth of his influence. They are organized by his former colleague, pianist and music professor Xak Bjerken, professor of music in the College of Arts and Sciences, who founded Ensemble X with Stucky nearly 30 years ago. "People may not realize how much Steve gave to Cornell and to our arts community," Bjerken said. "His touch as a teacher was so gentle, but incredibly effective. His students have gone on to compose in every imaginable style.""
"As a composer, Stucky broke new ground by blending modern complexity with sophisticated orchestration, maintaining a long association with the Los Angeles Philharmonic that helped bring modern repertoire to wider audiences. He was awarded the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his "Second Concerto for Orchestra," a work Bjerken said blends references to composers from the past with innovations that tailored the piece to specific members of the LA Philharmonic."
"This semester's celebration began Jan. 23 at the A.D. White House with "Their Swan Songs: Schubert and Stucky," featuring Stucky's final song for voice and piano, "Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking." Commissioned two years before Stucky's death and rarely performed, the piece was inspired by Walt Whitman's reflections on childhood and memory. The concert paired that piece with songs Franz Schubert wrote in the latter part of his life."
Cornell is presenting a series of concerts honoring Steven Stucky a decade after his death. The events span intimate recitals, premieres and a large Reunion-weekend concert, reflecting Stucky's broad influence on the campus music community. Xak Bjerken, who co-founded Ensemble X with Stucky, organized the commemorations and emphasized Stucky's gentle but effective teaching and the stylistic diversity of his students. Stucky combined modern complexity with refined orchestration and sustained ties to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He received the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for his "Second Concerto for Orchestra." The celebration opened Jan. 23 with works pairing Stucky and Schubert.
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