Vercoe, Elizabeth

Vercoe, Elizabeth, American composer; b. Washington, D.C., April 23, 1941. She was educated at Wellesley Coll. (B.A., 1962), the Univ. of Mich. (M.M., 1963), and Boston Univ. (D.M.A., 1978). She taught at Westminster Choir Coll. in Princeton, N.J. (1969-71), and Framingham (Mass.) State Coll. (1973-74). She was composer-in-residence at the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris and the Charles Ives Center for American Music; in 1988 she participated in the U.S./U.S.S.R. Young Composers’ Exchange. She wrote a variety of articles actively promoting the cause of women’s music; was a founding member of the Mass. Chapter of American Women Composers (1984) and a board member of the International League of Women Composers; co-directed the Women’s Music Festival/85 in Boston. She is married to Barry Vercoe.

Works

Children’s Capricefor Orch. (1963); Herstory Ifor Soprano, Piano, and Vibraphone, after American women poets (1975), 71: 13 Japanese Lyricsfor Soprano, Piano, and Percussion, after medieval Japanese women poets (1979), and 777; Jehanne de Lorraine,staged monodrama for Voice and Piano, after Villon, Shaw, Twain et al. (1986); Violin Concerto (1977); Irreveries from Sapphofor Women’s Chorus and Piano (1981); Fantaviafor Flute and Percussion (1982); Suite françaisefor Violin (1983); Despite our Differences No. 1for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1984) and No. 2for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1988); 9 Epigrams from Poor Richardfor Voice and Tape (1986).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire