American composer William Howard Schuman (1910-1992) was celebrated for his propulsive and energetic music, a body of work built upon the foundations of both traditional and modern techniques. His early compositions, largely conservative and deliberate, evoked the themes of American folk and straight-ahead jazz, while his later works departed somewhat from key signatures, though without sacrificing a melodic and lyrical quality.

Over the course of his career, composer William Schuman wrote ten symphonies, five ballet scores, four string quartets, concertos for various instruments, band pieces, and several works for voice, most notably the opera The Mighty Casey. Sharing his musical knowledge and organizational skills with others, he taught at Sarah Lawrence College from 1935 through 1945, served as president at New York's prestigious Juilliard School of Music from 1945 through 1961, and served as president of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts from 1962 until 1969. Schuman, the recipient of numerous awards and...