Dello Joio, << DEHL oh JOY oh, >> Norman (1913-2008), was an American composer. He won the 1957 Pulitzer Prize in music for his Meditations on Ecclesiastes (1957) for orchestra. Dello Joio’s style reflects the influence of American jazz, Italian opera, and a movement of the early 1900’s called Neoclassicism. His music features highly developed rhythms and lyrical melodies.
Dello Joio composed for orchestra, band, chamber groups, chorus, piano, and solo voice. He wrote operas, ballets, and music for television. Two of Dello Joio’s most impressive compositions are The Mystic Trumpeter (1943) and A Jubilant Song (1946). He adapted these choral works from the poetry of the American poet Walt Whitman. A number of Dello Joio’s pieces are variations on a single theme. Examples include Variations, Chaconne, and Finale for orchestra (1948) and Fantasy and Variations for piano and orchestra (1962).
Dello Joio was born on Jan. 24, 1913, in New York City. He worked as an organist and choirmaster in several Roman Catholic churches. Dello Joio died on July 24, 2008.
