Pride Spotlights: Samuel Barber

Celebrated as one the most critically successful composers of the 20th century, Samuel Barber (1910-1981) combined multiple musical careers as a composer, pianist, and music educator.

Image sourced from Encyclopedia Britannica

Barber, who composed his first operetta at age 10, was profoundly interested in music from an early age. At 14, he entered the youth artist program at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he met his future life partner, fellow student and future composer Gian Carlo Menotti. For more than 40 years, the two were considered classical music’s greatest gay power couple.

Barber received numerous awards throughout his career. Notably, was awarded the Pulitzer Prizes for Music twice: first for his opera Vanessa (1956-57), and later for the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1962). In 1980, he received the Edward MacDowell Medal for outstanding contribution to the arts.

Barber’s Adagio for Strings (1936) is by far his most popular composition, and is a staple piece in the concert repertoire of orchestras around the world. Enjoy this 2019 performance by the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.