Hilary Tann
Hilary Tann (2 November 1947 – 8 February 2023) was a Welsh-born composer based in the USA. She lived in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York where she chaired the Music Department and was the John Howard Payne Professor at Union College, Schenectad.
Praised for its lyricism (“beautiful, lyrical work” – Classical Music Web) and formal balance (“In the formal balance of this music, there is great beauty …” – Welsh Music), her music was influenced by a strong identification with the natural world. These two interests combined in her enjoyment of haiku (she is a published haiku poet) and in text selections from Welsh poets. A deep interest in the traditional music of Japan led to private study of the shakuhachi and guest visits to Japan, Korea, and China. Her compositions have been widely performed and recorded by ensembles such as the European Women’s Orchestra, Tenebrae, Lontano, Marsyas Trio, Thai Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and KBS Philharmonic in Seoul, Korea.
Hilary Tann (2 November 1947 – 8 February 2023) was a Welsh-born composer based in the USA. She lived in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York where she chaired the Music Department and was the John Howard Payne Professor at Union College, Schenectad.
Praised for its lyricism (“beautiful, lyrical work” – Classical Music Web) and formal balance (“In the formal balance of this music, there is great beauty …” – Welsh Music), her music was influenced by a strong identification with the natural world. These two interests combined in her enjoyment of haiku (she is a published haiku poet) and in text selections from Welsh poets. A deep interest in the traditional music of Japan led to private study of the shakuhachi and guest visits to Japan, Korea, and China. Her compositions have been widely performed and recorded by ensembles such as the European Women’s Orchestra, Tenebrae, Lontano, Marsyas Trio, Thai Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and KBS Philharmonic in Seoul, Korea.