David W. Del Tredici *64

A Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, David died in New York City, Nov. 18, 2023.

Born in Cloverdale, Calif., March 16, 1937, David began advanced piano lessons with Bernhard Abramovitch in 1953. At age 20, David played with the San Francisco Pops Symphony under conductor Arthur Fiedler and was a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony. At the Aspen Musical Festival, he attended a composition seminar led by composer Darius Milhaud. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1959 and earned an MFA in music from Princeton in 1964.

Recognizing David’s talent, Aaron Copland became a mentor and lifelong friend. David was commissioned for works by several major American and European orchestral ensembles. His composition “Final Alice,” was commissioned in honor of the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 and was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and Philadelphia Orchestra.

In 1980, David’s composition, “In Memory of a Summer Day,” won the Pulitzer Prize in Music.

David taught on the faculties of Harvard, Boston University, Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, and the City University of New York.

David is survived by his siblings Ann, Robert, and Peter, and several nieces and nephews.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.