The American composer celebrated his 85th birthday on February 17 and died on March 28. A former protege of Barber and Menotti, Hoiby lived in a remote corner of the Catskills Mountains with his partner of many years, Mark Shulgasser. In all he wrote eight staged works, and his web site lists “Romeo & Juliet” as in progress.
Please share your memories of Lee here.
Previously on MyBigGayEars:
Hoiby’s “Summer & Smoke” receives NYC performances, press
Hoiby’s Iraq Letter in new orchestral version
Lee Hoiby Cooks Up Tasty Operas and Extra Helpings of Art Songs
Sometime during my college years I was invited to Rebekah Harkness’ palatial home in Tucson to become her orchestration and composition teacher. Shortly thereafter she moved back to New York City and Lee got the job. Later, after I myself moved back to New York, I met Lee in my capacity as a music copyist and we became friends. We found alot to admire in each other’s music since we were both committed to writing music that was both lyrical and tonal. Driving in upstate New York, Lee chanced upon a broadcast of my Oboe Quintet and pulled off the road so that he could hear the piece uninterupted. Later he called me to tell me how much he admired it. When I saw Lee last year at an Opera America salon concert presenting excerpts from his opera “The Tempest” he seemed somewhat frail but I attributed it to the several years that had elapsed since our last meeting. A gentle and elegant gentleman, he has left us a legacy of vocal music which is assured a place in our music.