Ellen Taaffe Zwilich is one of the most recognized woman American composers. Zwilich was born April 30th,1939 in Miami, Florida. She began composing when she was very young, she had written compositions for her high school band while she also played alongside the band. Zwilich could play multiple instruments including piano, violin, and trumpet. She continued her education at Florida State University where she graduated with a masters degree and a bachelor degree in music in 1962. After graduating from Florida State University Zwilich decided to become a teacher and moved to a small town in South Carolina where she was a teacher for a year (Britannica). In 1964 Ellen moved to New York City where she studied and worked with Ivan Galamian. Zwilich played for the American Symphony Orchestra from 1965-1972, this was a very big feat because at this time the presence of women in major orchestras was very scarce. In 1975 Zwilich became the first woman to ever receive a doctorate in composition from the prestiges school of Juilliard. Another major accomplishment in Zwilich’s life was holding the first composer’s chair at Carnegie Hall from 1995-1999. …show more content…
The most prestiges award she has received is the Pulitzer Prize in music for her Symphony no. 1, Three Movements Orchestra in 1983. Zwilich was the first woman to ever receive this prestiges award and this is just one of many awards. Some more awards Zwilich has received includes the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Chamber Music Prize, the Arturo Toscanini Music Critics Award, the Ernst von Dohnányi Citation, an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Guggenheim Fellowship, four Grammy nominations, the Alfred I. Dupont Award, Miami Performing Arts Center Award, the Medaglia d’oro in the G.B. Viotti Competition, and the NPR and WNYC Gotham Award