Jennifer Higdon
Jennifer Elaine Higdon was born on the 31st of December 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. Her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia within the first ten years of her life before settling in Seymour, Tennessee. Charles Higdon worked as a painter and exposed his children to various exhibitions of new and experimental art. This early exposure helped form an idea of what art could be for young Jennifer. She developed interests in photography and writing at a very early age despite receiving little classical music exposure at home. Her musical education began with listening to rock and folk music from the 1960s instead of orchestral repertoire. High school marked her first formal engagement when she joined a concert band playing percussion. Around that same time she picked up a flute her mother had bought and taught herself using an old method book. She played flute in the high school concert band while handling percussion duties in the marching band. Classical music remained largely absent from her experience until college years arrived.
Higdon studied flute performance at Bowling Green State University under Judith Bentley who encouraged her exploration into composition. The lack of formal training caused significant struggles during her early college career. She stated that she did not know basic theory or how to spell chords upon starting school. Most students were far more advanced than she was requiring extraordinary effort to catch up. Despite discouragement from some professors she established herself as a hard worker and resilient student. During her time at Bowling Green she wrote Night Creatures, a two-minute piece for flute and piano. Playing in the university orchestra gave her new appeal toward newer music compared to older styles. Robert Spano taught a conducting course there and became one of the champions of Higdon's music later. She earned an artist diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music studying with David Loeb. Higdon also obtained both a master of arts and a PhD in composition from the University of Pennsylvania under George Crumb. From 1994 to 2021 she served as professor of composition at the Curtis Institute holding the Milton L. Rock Chair.
Major symphony orchestras commissioned works from Jennifer Higdon including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra. Conductors like Christoph Eschenbach and Marin Alsop worked extensively with her on various projects. Soloists such as baritone Thomas Hampson and pianist Yuja Wang performed her compositions frequently. Her first opera based on Charles Frazier's 1997 novel Cold Mountain premiered in Santa Fe in 2015. Gene Scheer provided the libretto for this work co-commissioned by The Santa Fe Opera and Opera Philadelphia. blue cathedral stands as her most popular work written in memory of her brother who died of cancer in 1998. Premiered in 2000 it has been performed by more than 400 orchestras around the world. Her works have appeared on more than four dozen CDs recorded across different labels. The Violin Concerto premiered the 6th of February 2009 in Indianapolis was commissioned jointly by multiple symphonies. The Percussion Concerto won a Grammy Award in 2010 while the Viola Concerto followed suit in 2018. The Harp Concerto secured another Grammy win in 2020.
Higdon describes her compositional process as intuitive and instinctive rather than adhering to strict classical forms. Popular music influences like the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel shaped her musical upbringing significantly. The mountains and wide open spaces of Tennessee influenced her style helping bond her to George Crumb. She favors tonal structures but eschews traditional harmonic progressions in favor of open intervals. Avoiding specific key signatures allows sudden surprising harmonic shifts and modulations throughout her pieces. Open perfect fifths and parallel fifths appear frequently in most compositions alongside scalar passages. Complex intricate rhythmic passages often feature even when melodies remain lyrical. Rhythmic ostinati give motion to many works especially rapid compositions. Some repetition could be considered minimalist in nature yet serves structural purposes. Her vocal works emulate speech patterns applying them to pitch and rhythm choices reflecting text mood. Melodies tend to have a more romantic sound resulting from these techniques. Music unfolds naturally without intentional form consideration allowing sections to flow into one another.
The League of American Orchestras reported Higdon as one of the most performed living American composers in 2008. Robert Battey wrote for the Washington Post describing her music as lithe and expert. Steve Smith noted in the New York Times that her vivid attractive works made her a hot commodity lately. Rowena Smith of The Guardian called blue cathedral pure new-age fluff undemanding and unadventurous. Andrew Clements gave a CD of Higdon's music a minimal one-star rating calling it vacuous and noisy mishmash. Tom Service criticized Concerto For Orchestra claiming flamboyant gestures functioned only as surface effects. Raymond Tuttle offered a more positive review noting color and brilliance compensated for lack of melodic content. Critics debated whether her accessibility undermined structural depth or enhanced emotional resonance for audiences. Some found her work deeply engaging while others dismissed it as lacking true innovation. These contrasting opinions highlighted the divide between traditional expectations and modern compositional approaches.
Jennifer Higdon received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation and the American Academy of Arts & Letters twice. She earned the Pew Fellowship in the Arts and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. ASCAP and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts provided additional support throughout her career. Higdon appeared as featured composer at festivals including Grand Teton, Tanglewood, Vail, Norfolk, Winnipeg and Cabrillo. Her Violin Concerto won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Music with citation praising its flowing lyricism and dazzling virtuosity. The Percussion Concerto secured her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2010. The Viola Concerto brought home another Grammy win in 2018 alongside an album award. The Harp Concerto completed her trio of Grammy victories in 2020. Elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2019 she continues to shape contemporary classical music. Her works remain widely performed across major orchestras globally reflecting enduring public appeal.
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Common questions
When and where was Jennifer Higdon born?
Jennifer Elaine Higdon was born on the 31st of December 1962 in Brooklyn, New York. Her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia within the first ten years of her life before settling in Seymour, Tennessee.
What instruments did Jennifer Higdon play during her early education?
Jennifer Higdon played flute in the high school concert band while handling percussion duties in the marching band. She picked up a flute her mother had bought and taught herself using an old method book after joining a concert band playing percussion.
Which orchestras commissioned works from Jennifer Higdon?
Major symphony orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra commissioned works from Jennifer Higdon. Conductors like Christoph Eschenbach and Marin Alsop worked extensively with her on various projects.
Why is blue cathedral considered Jennifer Higdon's most popular work?
blue cathedral stands as her most popular work written in memory of her brother who died of cancer in 1998. Premiered in 2000 it has been performed by more than 400 orchestras around the world.
When did Jennifer Higdon win Grammy Awards for her concertos?
The Percussion Concerto won a Grammy Award in 2010 while the Viola Concerto followed suit in 2018. The Harp Concerto secured another Grammy win in 2020.