Justin Dello Joio

Justin Dello Joio, born in New York City, is descended from seven generations of composers in the Dello Joio family. He began piano at age 5, studying with pianists Constance Keene and Mieczeslav Munz, began composing at age 6, winning a scholarship to the Juilliard Pre College at age 7. At age 12, he began studying with composer, Ellen Taafe Zwilich and in high school, with Hall Overton and jazz pianist Roland Hanna. He finished his formal training at the Juilliard School, receiving an annual composition award, while completing a B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. degrees in composition, studying with Vincent Persichetti, Roger Sessions, and David Diamond.

Dello Joio, currently published by Theodore Presser Co. and G. Schirmer, has composed orchestral, chamber, vocal, opera, and solo works, as well as music for chamber orchestra, and his work has been heard in the US, Europe, Taiwan and Korea. He has been the recipient of several awards: three from The American Academy of Arts and Letters, including their Award in Music, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, National Endowment for the Arts, NY State Council on the Arts, Aaron Copland Recording Foundation, NY Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, 2 Meet the Composer grants, The American Music Center CAP award, and the Theodore Presser Foundation. On October 31, 2007, The Classical Recording Foundation awarded him their Composer of the Year Award at Weill /Carnegie Hall.

Recent activities include the world premiere of his Music for Piano Trio ‘The March of Folly’ at the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society on November 5, 2009, with performers Carter Brey, An Kavafian, and Shai Wosner. The world premiere of his one act opera, Blue Mountain, about the final days of composer Edvard Grieg, was commissioned by Det Norske Blaseensemble. It was given on October 8,9,10, 2007, at Kanonhalen in Oslo, Norway, as part of the Edvard Grieg Centennial celebrations and the 2007 Ultima Contemporary Music Festival. The work was recorded and is released on Bridge Records. (Bridge 9273)

In March 2007, Bridge Records released an acclaimed CD recording (Bridge 9220) of several of his works, with pianist Garrick Ohlsson, performing his Sonata for Piano and Two Concert Etudes; and Music for Piano Trio “The March of Folly”, performed by Ani Kavafian, violin, Carter Brey, cello, and Jeremy Denk, piano. Mr. Ohlsson included his Sonata in his spring concert tour, including New York City’s Town Hall and the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and he included his Concert Etudes on programs in several cities, including Cleveland and Santa Rosa.

His celebratory work, Blue and Gold Music, for the American Brass Quintet and Organ, commissioned for the 300th anniversary of The Trinity School in New York, premiered and was later recorded at New York’s Riverside Church with organist Colin Fowler, for inclusion on the upcoming ABQ 50 year anniversary CD, ABQ:The State of the Art on Summit Records, as well as for Bridge Record’s next volume of Dello Joio’s music. He most recently completed a work for cello and piano, Due Per Due, commissioned by the Barlow Endowment, for the NY Philharmonic Principal Cellist, Carter Brey. (Premiere date TBA by Mr. Brey and Christopher O’Riley)

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung Whun Chung Music Director, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra have co-commissioned Mr. Dello Joio to write a Piano Concerto for pianist Garrick Ohlsson, for premiere in Paris March 5, 2011 and in Boston in November 2011.