William Elden Bolcom is an American classical composer and pianist born on May 26, 1938, in Seattle. Bolcom began musical studies at age 11 and later trained with Darius Milhaud, Leland Smith, and Olivier Messiaen. In 1973, Bolcom joined the faculty at the University of Michigan, where he taught composition until 2008. Bolcom married mezzo-soprano Joan Morris in 1975, subsequently recording albums including After the Ball. In 1988, Bolcom received the Pulitzer Prize for Music for the work Twelve New Etudes for Piano. His compositions include the operas McTeague (1992) and A View from the Bridge (1999). Bolcom also composed the “Lyric Concerto” for flute player James Galway. In 2006, the recording of his work Songs of Innocence and of Experience received four Grammy Awards. That same year, Bolcom received the National Medal of Arts. Bolcom was named Composer of the Year by Musical America in 2007.
