An eminent American composer has died

An eminent American composer has died

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norman lebrecht

October 20, 2014

We regret to report the death on Sunday of the prolific and popular composer, Stephen Paulus.

Stephen suffered a massive stroke in July 2013 and spent the last months of his life in a care home. He was 65.

A Minnesotan for almost all his life, he wrote 10 operas, 60 orchestral scores and more than 150 works for chorus, many of them widely performed. He is probably best known outside the US for the 1982 opera, The Postman Always Rings Twice.

He was co-founder of the American Composers Forum and a generous mentor to many younger colleagues.

 

paulus

Comments

  • Very sad to hear. Prayers and thoughts to his family and friends.

  • Robert Levine says:

    Technically, he (along with Randall Davidson, I believe, and Libby Larsen), founded Minnesota Composers Forum, which morphed into ACF. I knew him back in the late 70s, when their office was right down the hall from the SPCO offices and rehearsal space. A lovely man.

  • Jules says:

    You chose a perfect clip to memorialize this wonderful composer. Thank-you.

  • Robert McDuffie says:

    I am heartbroken to read this.

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