Robert Ward Robert Ward has been a prolific composer for over 70 years and is perhaps most widely known for his operatic setting of
The Crucible, Arthur’s Miller’s dramatic recounting of the Salem witchcraft trials; a work that has been performed around the world and in a number of different languages. Ward’s catalog of works includes eight operas, seven symphonies, four concertos, numerous shorter works for orchestra, music for wind ensemble, compositions for a variety of instrumental chamber groups, two cantatas, various genres for vocal ensembles and many songs for solo voice. During his career, Ward has been a successful composer, conductor, educator, administrator and businessman. Ward’s various careers have brought him into close association with notable figures in the world of contemporary American music and taken him to many parts of the world, including Austria, Canada, the People’s Republic of China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Korea, Poland, the former Soviet Union, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan. There have been performances of
The Crucible in Japan (performed in Japanese), England, Germany (performed in German with the composer conducting) and Korea (performed in Korean). His achievements in music have been recognized with four honorary doctorates, numerous grants and fellowships and, for
The Crucible, a New York Music Critics Circle Citation Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Music. As a composer who enjoys the rich palette of life in the United States to its fullest, Robert Ward proudly represents himself as a truly “American” composer.