Quincy Porter

Quincy Porter (1897–1966) was an American composer and teacher of classical music.

He was born in New Haven, Connecticut on February 7, 1897. He went to Yale University where his teachers included Horatio Parker. He later studied with Ernest Bloch and Vincent d'Indy. He taught at Vassar during the 1930s, became dean (1938-42) and then director (1942-46) of the New England Conservatory of Music, and in 1946 returned to Yale, as professor, to teach until 1965. He died in Bethany, Connecticut on November 12, 1966.

He wrote a substantial amount in the "absolute (established) forms", including nine string quartets (1923–1953), several concertos (including one for harpsichord, one for viola, and one for two pianos, the latter work receiving the 1954 Pulitzer Prize for Music), and two symphonies. His later music while tonal is harmonically and rhythmically acerbic and dissonant.

Selected works
Symphonies
Symphony no. 1, 1934
Symphony no. 2, 1962
Other orchestral
Ukrainian suite, 1925
Dance in Three-Time, 1937
Music for Strings, 1941
New England Episodes, 1958
Concertos
Concerto concertante, for two pianos and orchestra begun 1953? ([1])
Harpsichord concerto, 1959? 1960?
Viola concerto, 1948
Fantasy on a Pastoral Theme for Organ and Strings, 1943
Concerto for Wind Orchestra, 1959
Chamber music
Nine string quartets (quartets according to the Gilmore Library collection from 1922-3 (no. 1 in E minor), 1925, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1937, no. 7 published in 1944, 1950, 1958)
Quintet for harpsichord and strings, 1961
Oboe quintet (Elegiac), 1966
Clarinet quintet, 1929
Two violin sonatas (1926, 1929; second recorded in the 1950s and more recently, 1st given its premiere recording in the late 1990s) (also an early sonata from 1919 has been recorded)
Suite for viola alone, 1930
Piano sonata (1930)
Sonata for horn and piano, 1946
Sextet on a Slavic folk-theme, 1947
Blues Lointains for flute and piano (1928)