Page "Charles Wuorinen" Paragraph 3

Wuorinen began composing at age 5 and began piano lessons at 6.

At sixteen he was awarded the New York Philharmonic's Young Composers ' Award and the John Harms Chorus premiered his choral work O Filii et Filiae at Town Hall ( 2 May 1954 ).

He was active as a singer and pianist with the choruses at the Church of the Heavenly Rest and the Church of the Transfiguration ( Little Church Around The Corner ), and was the rehearsal pianist for the world premiere production of Carlos Chavez's opera Panfilio and Lauretta at Columbia University during the spring of 1957.

From 1952 to 1956 Wuorinen was President of the Trinity School Glee Club.

He was pianist, librarian and General Manager of the Columbia University Orchestra ( 1956 – 57 ).

During the summers of 1955 and 1956 has was the organist at Saint Paul's Church in Gardner, Massachusetts, where his parents stayed during the summer months.

He was awarded the Bearns Prize ( 3 times ), the BMI Student Composers Award ( 4 times ) and the Lili Boulanger Award.

He was a fellow at the Bennington Composers Conference for several years.

Many early professional performances of Wuorinen ’ s compositions took place on the Music of Our Time series at the 92nd Street Y run by violinist Max Pollikoff.