John Harbison

John Harbison was born in Orange, NJ on December 20, 1938. He began improvising on the piano at the age of 5, and at the age of 12 started his own jazz band. In high school he also studied violin, viola, voice and tuba. He did his undergraduate work at Harvard (where he studied with Piston) and earned his MFA at Princeton (studying with Roger Sessions).

Harbison has held a number of university posts, as either a professor or lecturer. Most notable has been his tenure at MIT. He also serves on the boards of directors of a number of musical organizations such as the Copland Fund, and the Koussevitzky Foundation.

Harbison has composed music for almost every type of performing force. Notable among his works are his three string quartets, three syphonies, Three City Blocks (for wind emsemble), the opera The Great Gatsby; and the cantata The Flight Into Egypt, for which he was awarded a PulitzerPrize.

His works for saxophone include Bermuda Triangle (for tenor sax, amplified cello and electric organ) and Sonata for Saxophone. His Sonata for Saxophone and Piano (San Antonio) was commissioned through the work of the World-Wide Concurrent Premieres and Commissioning Fund, Inc.