About
Virtuoso musician who created highly improvisational and politically aware works inspired by secularism. His best-known compositions included "The People United Will Never Be Defeated!" and "Coming Together," which was based on Sam Melville's letters during the Attica State Prison riots of 1971.
Before Fame
He was a student at Phillips Academy, Harvard, and Princeton, where he was taught by Randall Thompson, Roger Sessions, Walter Piston, and Milton Babbitt.
Trivia
His trip to Italy in 1960 was a pivotal time in his evolution as a musician.
Family Life
His family noticed his musical talents when he gravitated toward the piano at the age of five.
Associated With
His 2003 composition "Cadenza con o senza Beethoven" was written specifically for Ludwig van Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto.
