Norman Dello Joio

Norman Dello Joio was an American classical composer celebrated for his uniquely accessible style at a time when modernists dominated American musical institutions. Mentored by Hindemith, Dello Joio developed his own musical vocabulary which effectively synthesized the aesthetics of Italian opera, liturgical music, and jazz. His compositions are often described as being colorful, carefully crafted, and flamboyant. In 1957 he won a Pulitzer Prize for his Meditation on Ecclesiastes for string orchestra and in 1965 an Emmy for the television score The Louvre. Dello Joio also held numerous university faculty positions throughout his long career. A delicate understanding of musical craft as well as an honest musical language earned him many critical successes and the gratitude of countless audiences. Conversely, he faced harsh criticism and rejection from the musical establishment who thought that he was too accessible to be taken seriously as a composer. Dello Joio's father and godfather were both skilled organists who took it him in hand and trained him on the instrument. At 14, Dello Joio's skill had developed enough to earn him a position at the Star of the Sea Church in New York, where constant exposure to traditional Catholic liturgical music made a lasting impression on the young musician. First active as a professional church organist in 1927, he attended All Hallow's Institute until 1930 and then the College of the City of New York between 1932 and 1934. Dello Joio sought more serious instruction at the Institute of Musical Art and at the Juilliard School. Brief studies with Hindemith in 1941 were vital in shaping his compositional style. Hindemith had a significant impact by encouraging Dello Joio to find an identity that suited those influences which compelled him in the most natural way. While he was sometimes charged with being overly theatrical in his musical gestures, Dello Joio's music never resorts to garishness or overindulgence (as does the music of a great many other "accessible" composers), and it seems likely that a good number of his pieces -- such as the Meditations or the second version of the opera The Triumph of St. Joan (1959) -- will continue to occupy a place in the repertoire. Further testaments to his accessibility, Suite for the Young (1964) and Lyric Pieces for the Young (1971) are widely performed by both student and professional pianists. Dello Joio held academic appointments at Sarah Lawrence College and the Mannes College of Music, and served as the dean of Boston University’s School of Fine and Applied Arts from 1972-1978. He was also the recipient of many scholarly honors, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Guggenheim fellowships.
© TiVo