Death of US composer, 58

Friends are reporting the death of Harold Meltzer, a prolific composer who taught at Syracuse University.

Meltzer suffered a stroke five years ago and was left severely disabled.

His works have been recorded on Albany, Naxos and Bridge.

Gloria Cheng writes: ‘In spite of the debilitating effects of Harold’s stroke in the spring of 2019 (barely 2 weeks after I bid him a farewell on his way to Italy following a sensational guest composer visit to UCLA), he composed up until the end and planned for the future with abiding optimism and good humor. Harold, you always managed to make me laugh, even as you faced so many challenges of your own.’

Russell Platt writes: ‘Harold Meltzer was one of my closest friends for thirty years and I am devastated by his untimely passing. After experiencing a massive stroke five years ago brought on by autoimmune disease, and suffering serious physical disability, he seemed to have plateaued in recent months, and was actively composing and meeting old friends for dinner, thanks to a wheelchair, dedicated physical therapy, and the unstinting support of his wife and family. Harold achieved his mature style about 20 years ago: a mixture of late Stravinsky, the post-minimalism of David Lang and other of his Yale comrades, a brush of Euro-modern sophistication à la Donatoni, and a sensitive and elevated state of wonder that was precious in the very best sense. And because of that, he left several works of the highest quality, including “Brion” (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize), “Sinbad” (a hilarious setting of a New Yorker story by Donald Barthelme for piano trio and narrator, which no less than John Shirley-Quirk recorded), “Variations on a Summer Day” (a luminous work for mezzo and ensemble after Wallace Stevens), and two superb song cycles for the tenor Paul Appleby. All of those works have been recorded, and I hope that they will last.’