Augusta Read Thomas
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Augusta Read Thomas (born April 24, 1964) is a composer.
Augusta Read Thomas was born in Glen Cove, New York. She studied composition with Jacob Druckman at Yale University. She is one of the most successful composers of orchestral music in the United States of America. She taught at the Eastman School of Music and received tenure there at the age of only 33, but left to teach at the Northwestern University School of Music. While she was still at Eastman, she was appointed as the Composer in Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a post that she retained until 2006, when she was succeeded by Osvaldo Golijov and Mark-Anthony Turnage. In 2006, Thomas resigned from teaching at Northwestern in order to compose exclusively. Thomas currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the American Music Center.
Thomas's music avoids traditional models, such as sonata form, and traditional styles, such as folk song. One can hear the influence of composers such as Luciano Berio in her use of improvisatory-sounding rhythms and colorful harmonies.
An album by Chanticleer containing recordings of her choral pieces, "The Rub of Love" and "Love Songs", won a Grammy. Some of her other works include: "Aurora", "Galaxy Dances", "Prayer Bells", "Words of the Sea", "Bells Ring Summer", "Sillhouettes", "Purple Syllables", and "Ring Flourish Blaze".
Augusta Read Thomas is married to American composer Bernard Rands.
