born Oct. 28, 1896, Wahoo, Neb., U.S.
died Feb. 26, 1981, New York, N.Y.
U.S. composer, conductor, and educator.
He was awarded the Rome Prize in 1921 and studied in Italy with Ottorino Respighi . Returning to the U.S., he became director of the Eastman School of Music (1924), and remained there 40 years, building the school into a world-renowned institution. Despite his keen scholarly interest in modern developments, his own music is neo-Romantic; he is best known for his seven symphonies
including the second ( Romantic ) and fourth ( Requiem , Pulitzer Prize)
and his opera Merry Mount (1934).