Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Biography

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich is a composer whose Three Movements for Orchestra (Symphony No. 1) won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983 and boosted her to international recognition. Zwilich studied music at Florida State University and the Juilliard School, earning her doctorate in composition. She played violin with the American Symphony Orchestra (1965-72) before devoting herself to composing full-time. Zwilich has made many recordings and won numerous awards and accolades, including four Grammy nominations, a Guggenheim Fellowship and a spot in the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Since 2000 she has been a professor at Florida State University.