Leo Sowerby
b. Grand Rapids, Michigan, May 1, 1895
d. Port Clinton, Ohio, July 7, 1968
Biography
Leo Sowerby, the American organist and composer, received much of his
training in the United States. After studying both organ performance and
theory in Chicago, he completed his musical schooling in Italy.
Sowerby returned to the United States and taught composition at the American
Conservatory in Chicago from 1925 to 1962. In 1962 he helped found the
College of Church Musicians in Washington, D.C. In addition, Sowerby
remained active in liturgical music, serving as organist at St. James
Episcopal Cathedral, Chicago for over forty years.
Sowerby's genius lay in his ability to fuse American individuality and
expression with traditional European forms. His organ music helped revive
the American Symphonic tradition, which had struggled during the
Orgelbewegung period. With clear forms and experimental harmonies, Sowerby
composed for both concert hall and cathedral, taking full advantage of the
American Classic organ.
Points of Interest
- Leo Sowerby was only 18 years old at the premier of his violin concerto.
- Sowerby was the first American to win the Prix de Rome for composition,
allowing for his three years of study in Italy.
- Leo Sowerby won the Pulitzer Prize in 1946 for his cantata The Canticle of
the Sun Prairie.
Representative Works
- Organ symphonies
- Chorale Preludes
- Variations
- Two organ concertos
- Numerous other works, including:
- Comes Autumn Time
- Festival Musick
- Pageant
- Carillion
- Arioso