bio

Morris Rosenzweig was born October 1, 1952 in New Orleans, where he grew up among the tailors, merchants, and strong-willed women of an extended family which has lived in southern Louisiana since the mid 1890s.

His works have been widely presented throughout the United States, as well as in Denmark, Sweden, Holland, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Mexico and Israel. Among the noted ensembles who have brought these works to life are Speculum Musicae, "Piano and Percussion-Stuttgart", The New York New Music Ensemble, the Chamber Players of the League-ISCM, EARPLAY, NOVA, Philippe Entremont with the New Orleans Symphony, and Joseph Silverstein with the Utah Symphony.

His recorded compositions are available on Albany Records: Troy 1216, Troy 907, Troy 710, New World/CRI 705, New World/CRI 787, and Centaur 2103.

Rosenzweig's catalog of over 85 entries features works for orchestra, various chamber ensembles, compositions for live instruments and electronics, two song cycles, two piano cycles, solo pieces, and one opera, Box and Cox.

Mr. Rosenzweig has received honors from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation for a residency at Bellagio, an Academy Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, commissions from the Koussevitzky Foundation in the Library of Congress, the Fromm Foundation at Harvard, Chamber Music America, The Roger Shapiro Fund for Music, and the support from the Alice M. Ditson Fund for two recording projects; He has also been awarded the McCurdy, Nietche, Rappoport, and the International Horn Society prizes in composition.

The University of Utah named him University Professor in 1999, additionally honored him with a Distinguished Scholarly and Creative Research Award in 2003, and promoted him to the rank of Distinguished Professor in 2011.

Mr. Rosenzweig is an active conductor and coach, and has worked for many years with the Chamber Players of the League-ISCM in New York, the Canyonlands Ensemble in Utah, the New Music Ensemble in Utah, and The Louis Moreau Institute in New Orleans.

Presently Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Music at the University of Utah -- where he taught composition, theory, contemporary performance practice, and directed the Maurice Abravanel Visiting Distinguished Composers Series -- he has formerly held positions at Queens College and New York University. A frequently-invited speaker, he has given colloquia at Harvard, Columbia, Brandeis, Stony Brook, and the University of New Mexico, among others, and served as Guest Composer at the Composers Conference at Wellesley.

He was educated at the Eastman School of Music and Columbia University.

recent happenings

2025

String Trio, Weekend of Chamber Music, Jeffersonville, NY, July 2025, 12’

2024

Single #2: The Mixer for oboe, violin, viola, cello, piano; Premiere: March 24, 2024 Dixon Recital Hall, New Orleans, Louis Moreau Institute; 6’

2023

Single #1: commissioned by Lois Martin; viola and electronics; Premiere scheduled for fall 2024; WSCMS, NYC4’

The Juggler for piano; written for Wesley Ducote; Premiere scheduled for summer 2024; 5’

2021

2021: The Palm of the Hand-Four Movements for Percussion Quartet; commissioned by Talujon; Premiere Performance: November 6, 2021, LeFrak Hall, NYC, Talujon Ensemble; 20’

2019

Good Night; solo violin; premiered February 4, 2019; Rhiannon Banerdt, violin; 10’

2017

snip, snip, NOVA commission for 2018; supported with funds from Chamber Music America; piano, prepared piano, 2 violins, viola, cello, clarinet/BC, horn; Premiere February 25, 2018, Libby Gardner Concert Hall, SLC; 16’

Drang Nicht, Cygnus Ensemble commissioned by The Roger Shapiro Fund; multiple plectrum instruments, flute, oboe, violin and cello; Premiere April 30, 2018, Symphony Space, NYC, James Baker conducting. 12’

May 12-30, 2017

Heard Through Mixtful Eyes
CRAC Center for Contemporary Art
(10 videos and music by me)
Lamezia Terme, Italy

April 26, 2017; UC Berkeley

2005 and Counting: Katrina
(cl/electronics and video)
Laura Carmichael, Clarinet

January 28, 2017 New Music Ogden
2005 and Counting: Katrina (cl/electronics and video)
Katie Porter, Clarinet

January 19-21, 2017
Heard Through Mixtful Eyes; Barcelona
3 day festival centered around the collaborative project between photographer
Savina Tarsitano and me
January 19 Piano Recital
Jan 20 Panel Discussion
Jan 21 opening of exhibition, screening of Heard Through Mixtful Eyes
(10 videos and music by me)
Espronceda Center for the Arts, Barcelona)

2016

Nicosia, Cyprus November 14-16, 2016
5th Festival of New Music
conducted 2 concerts; these included my works Past Light and reprise
and works by Cypriot composers
dissonArt Ensemble
lecture: how and why/then and now

July 5, 2016, AV Festival, Park City, 2005 and Counting: Katrina, Katie Porter, Clarinet, Devin Maxwell, audio visual

May 18, 2016 NOVA, 2005 and Counting: Katrina, Katie Porter, Clarinet, Devin Maxwell, audio visual

2015

Premiere of commissioned piece, A League of Notions by the Orchestra of the League, Miller Theatre, New York, June 11, 2015.

Premiere of String Trio, NOVA Series, March 1, 2015

2014

Performance of Da Lives ah da Saints, Sonus Tone Festival, Magdeburg, Germany, October 25, 2014

Multi-media collaboration with photographer Savina Tarsitano, heard through mixtful eyes, premiered in Brussels, July 4, 2014, followed by a series of upcoming exhibitions in Japan and Italy

Performance of Angels, Emeralds and the Towers, Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, Oberlin, March 7, 2014

Performance, movements from Points and Tales, Emanuele Archiuli, Conservatorio Cherubini, Florence, December 12, 2014

Premiere of so as to, NOVA, November 2013

bio