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This thread reminded me of the American Music Center. Went over there and did a search of their database of American composers and came up with over 7500 hits!! That's a lot of composers.
Some others that came to mind who have done piano music that is worthwhile are Lee Hoiby, Daniel Pinkham, Jennifer Higden, Kent Kennan, Harold Shapero, Alan Hovhaness, Leo Ornstein, Emma Lou Diemer, Peter Mennin, William Albright, Dane Rudhyar, Robert Gibson, Walter Piston, John Harbison, William Bolcom, William Duckworth, and Frederic Rzewski.
Was about to mention William Bolcom but he's in wr's list above: he's done a whole bunch of Rags - I haven't played them but they look loads of fun....
There's a gazillion options. And is the festival's idea of 'american' simply 'born in the USA'-american, or 'from the two American continents and the isthmus in between'-american? Cos if it's genuinely "american" you then have a wealth of composers from the rest of the continents to explore.
Teacher, Composer, Writer, Speaker Working with Hal Leonard, Alfred, Faber, and Australian Music Examination Board Music in syllabuses by ABRSM, AMEB, Trinity Guildhall, ANZCA, NZMEB, and more www.elissamilne.wordpress.com
For church today I played Stars and Stripes Forever, To a Wild Rose, Gottschalk's The Last Hope and Griffes' Fountain of the Acqua Paola. Ambitious program for only three days of practicing, haha.
Harold C. Schomberg says he was the very first great american pianist. I don't know much about his compositions...
He was fantastic - Dover has a collection of many of his piano works and they are fun, fun, fun. Also difficult, difficult, difficult. But well worth the effort. He's one of those composers that may not be the best of composers, but playing their music is very enjoyable and are good showoff pieces. My favorite is the Banjo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKDyYiCXlOg
Harold C. Schomberg says he was the very first great american pianist. I don't know much about his compositions...
He was fantastic - Dover has a collection of many of his piano works and they are fun, fun, fun. Also difficult, difficult, difficult. But well worth the effort. He's one of those composers that may not be the best of composers, but playing their music is very enjoyable and are good showoff pieces. My favorite is the Banjo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKDyYiCXlOg
