1945	Born on October 20 in Brooklyn, NY.
1954	Begins studying piano.
1955	Gives first public piano concert. Writes first compositions for solo piano.
1957	Composes viola sonata.
1959	Composes Two Preludes for String Quartet. Meets Nadia Boulanger and begins studying with the famous French teacher.
1962	Enters the Juilliard School on scholarship and begins composition studies with the most influential teacher of his life, Italian-American composer Vittorio Giannini.
1964	Writes first opera (libretto and music), The Trysting Place, based on Booth Tarkington's play. Second opera, Flowers of Ice, with a libretto by Ronald Rogers, follows. Song repertory already numbers 400. Begins teaching at Juilliard.
1965	Receives bachelor's degree from Juilliard. Spends summer at the Aspen Festival studying with Darius Milhaud. Composes The Women (libretto and music to an original story), a 12-minute, 3-character opera that premieres on August 20 at the festival-end composition competition, Leonard Slatkin conducting. In the fall, returns to Juilliard to begin work on master's degree and sets to work composing La Divina, an opera buffa with an original libretto.
1966	La Divina premieres on double bill with The Women at Juilliard Opera Theater on March 16. Piano Sonata No. 1 premieres in New York with Justin Blasdale, pianist.
1967	One-act opera, Padrevía, with a libretto by the composer after a story from Boccaccio's Decameron premieres at Brooklyn College on November 18. The Women, La Divina and Padrevía published as a triptych by Presser. Composes first full-length opera, The Penitentes, to a libretto by Anne Howard Bailey.
1968	Invocation, commissioned by Leonard Slatkin, premieres in New York, with the New York Youth Symphony.
1969	Piano Sonata No. 2 premieres in New York, Justin Blasdale, pianist. Cameos for Solo Piano premieres in New York, Thomas Schumacher pianist. Leaves teaching position at Juilliard and begins teaching at Manhattan School of Music. Receives first doctoral degree ever awarded by Juilliard.
1971	One-act church opera, Calvary, with a libretto by the composer after W.B. Yeats, premieres on April 7 at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, Bellevue, WA. Leaves teaching position at Manhattan School of Music. Heloïse and Abelard, commissioned and performed by Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart, premieres in New York with Martin Katz, pianist.
1972	WNET (New York Public Television) commissions The Trial of Mary Lincoln; Anne Howard Bailey supplies the libretto; opera premieres on February 12 with Elaine Bonazzi in the title role, Peter Herman Adler conducting. Black Widow, opera in three-acts after Unamuno's Dos madres (libretto by the composer) premieres on March 2 in Seattle with a stellar cast: Joanna Simon, Evelyn Mandac, Jennie Tourel and Theodor Uppman. East Coast premiere the following summer at the Lake George Opera Festival (NY). Featured in Opera News, March 4, "Let Me Entertain You."
1974	The Seagull, libretto by Kenward Elmslie after Chekhov's classic play, premieres in Houston on March 5 with Frederica von Stade, Patricia Wells, Evelyn Lear, Richard Stilwell and John Reardon. Over the next few years The Seagull plays in Seattle, Washington, Atlanta and Fort Worth. Signor Deluso, one-act opera buffa with a libretto by the composer based on Molière's Sganarelle, premieres on July 27 at Wolf Trap (Vienna, VA). Aspen Festival gives world premiere of The Penitentes on August 3. Permit Me Voyage premieres in New Haven with Catherine Malfitano, soprano, and the New Haven Symphony and Chorus, Erich Kunzel conducting. Three Poems of James Agee premieres in New York with Shirley Verrett, soprano, and Warren Wilson, pianist. Rites of Passage premieres in Ft. Lauderdale with Patricia McAfferty, soprano. After Dark, "Opera is the Plural of Opus," Robert Jacobson, March. "Finding the Seagull," Opera News, R. Jacobson, March 2, 1974.
1976	Inés de Castro, with libretto by Bernard Stambler, premieres in Baltimore on March 30. Washington Square, adapted from the Henry James novel by Kenward Elmslie, premieres on October 1 in Detroit. Far From Love premieres in New York performed by the David Ensemble (Richard Stolzman-clarinet, Ani Kafavian-violin, Fred Sherry-cello, Warren Wilson, piano, and Sheila Schonbrun-soprano). "They Love Him in Seattle," New York Times Magazine, Peter G. Davis, March 21, 1976.
1977	Revised version premiere of Washington Square given by New York Lyric Opera on October 13. Songs, Volume One, published.
1979	Completes Three Sisters, opera in two acts after the Chekhov play, with Kenward Elmslie.
1980	Appointed Artistic Director of Atlanta Opera, a post he holds until 1984. Before Breakfast, opera in one act with libretto by Frank Corsaro, based on the play by Eugene O'Neill, premieres on October 9 at New York City Opera. Songs, Volume Two, published. Begins two-year teaching engagement at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
1981	Premiere of young peoples' opera, The Goose Girl, libretto by the composer based on a story by J.L. and W.C. Grimm, February 15 in Fort Worth, TX.
1983	Maria Elena, opera in one act with an original libretto, premieres on April 6 at the University of Arizona. Day of Love premieres with Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano, and Martin Katz, piano. Canciones del barrio premieres at Los Angeles Festival of American Mexican Music. Mass premieres in Atlanta, GA, with the Atlanta Choral Guild.
1984	Moves to Los Angeles and begins working in the film industry as an orchestrator. Three Sonnets from the Portuguese, song cycle commissioned by Baltimore Opera, premieres with Lili Chookasian, soprano, and the composer at the piano.
1985	A Joyful Noise premieres in Orange County, CA, with the Master Chorale, Maurice Allard, conductor. First film orchestration, European Vacation.
1986	Premiere of Three Sisters, March 13 in Columbus, OH. Recording of Three Sisters with original cast released. Film: Little Shop of Horrors, About Last Night.
1987	San Francisco Conservatory of Music presents stage premiere of The Trial of Mary Lincoln. Theatrepieces for clarinet, violin and piano premieres and is recorded by Verdehr Trio (Walter Verdehr-violin, Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr-clarinet, Gary Kirkpatrick-piano). Film: La Bamba.
1988	Sieben Lehmannlieder (Seven Lehmann Songs) to texts by Lotte Lehmann premieres at Music Academy of the West with Judith Beekman, soprano, and the composer on the piano. Film: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Oliver & Company.
1989	Forms film music production company, Topaz Productions. Windsongs published. Film: The Little Mermaid.
1990	Film: Men Don't Leave.
1991	Three Mysteries is premiered at Ithaca College, NY. Thomas Hampson records Alleluia with St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Hugo Wolff conducting. Sieben Lehmannlieder performed in orchestral version with Edith Davis and the Louisville Symphony, Lawrence Leighton Smith conducting. Film: Fried Green Tomatoes
1992	Serenade for violin and chamber orchestra premieres in Los Angeles with Peter Kent, violin, and the St. Thomas Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Neenan conducting. Film: The Player, Scent of a Woman.
1993	Concerto for Piano and Orchestra premieres in Los Angeles with the composer on the piano and the Topanga Symphony conducted by Gerald Kessler. The Harvest Frost for mixed chorus and chamber ensemble premieres in Chicago with the Classic Singers.
1994	Concerto for Two Pianos and Strings receives recorded premiere with Armen Guzemilian and Thomas Pasatieri, pianos, Michael Novak conducting. Bang the Drum Loudly premieres in New York, Judith Clurman conducting the New York Choral Society. Film: Legends of the Fall, Little Women, The Pagemaster, The Shawshank Redemption.
1995	Quartet for Flute and Strings premieres at Music Academy of the West, Timothy Day, flute, and the composer at the piano. Sonata for Viola and Piano premieres in Santa Barbara, CA, with Donald McInnes, viola, and the composer at the piano. Canticle of Praise for mixed chorus and organ premieres at Old Christ Church in Philadelphia. Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus premieres and records Mornings Innocent.
1997	Sonata for Flute and Piano premieres at Music Academy of the West with Timothy Day on flute and the composer on piano. Film: Oscar and Lucinda.
1998	Three Poems of Oscar Wilde, commissioned by the George London Society, premieres in New York with Thomas Hampson, baritone, and Craig Rutenburg, piano. Film: Meet Joe Black, Primary Colors.
1999	Film: American Beauty, Magnolia, The Green Mile.
2000	Film: Erin Brockovich.
2001	Windsong recorded by Ariana Trio (Karen Peeler-soprano, Henrietta Neeley-viola, Robin Guy-piano)
2002	New York premiere of The Seagull, Manhattan School of Music, December 11. Film: Road to Perdition.
2003	A Rustling of Angels published. The composer relocates to New York. The Seagull recording released (Albany Records). Film: Finding Nemo, Angels in America.
2004	Rostov State Theatre performs The Seagull in a Russian translation by Robert Lyall. Letter to Warsaw premieres in Seattle at Music of Remembrance's Holocast Remembrance Day concert with soprano Jane Eaglen and conductor Gerard Schwarz leading MOR musicians; recording released on Naxos label. Revised version of The Seagull is performed by San Francisco Opera Center. Fort Worth Opera announces commission of Frau Margot, based on an original play by Frank Corsaro. Revised version of La Divina premieres in New York with Sheri Greenawald in the title role.
2005	San Francisco Opera announces commission of The Hotel Casablanca for the 2007 Merola Program artists. Letter to Warsaw premieres in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, with Tamir Chasson, conductor, and Sharon Dvoriz, soprano. La Divina appears in repertory at Rondo Theatre in London.
2006	Bowling Green University marks 40th anniversary of La Divina premier with triple bill that also includes The Women and Signor Deluso. Revises Before Breakfast for private performance. New York City Opera VOX new opera program presents Act I of Frau Margot with Lauren Flanigan singing the title role. Albany Records releases Divas recording, that includes Divas of a Certain Age, La Divina and Signor Deluso. Thomas Pasatieri Songbook released on Albany Records, featuring Sheri Greenawald, Karen Slack, Victoria Livengood, Jordan Shanahan, and Warren Jones.
2007	Letter to Warsaw receives New York premier at Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in program narrated by Regina Resnik; additional performance at the Grandin Festival, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Fort Worth Opera gives world premier of Frau Margot. Hotel Casablanca premiers in San Francisco with the Merola Program; subsequently performed and recorded by the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and at Oklahoma City University.
2008	Albany Records releases premier recordings of Frau Margot, featuring Lauren Flanigan and Fort Work Opera, and The Hotel Casablanca, with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and Symphony Orchestra.

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Updated 09/02/2006
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