Powell, Mel (1923-1998), was an American composer, pianist, and music educator. Powell won the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for music for “Duplicates,” a concerto for two pianos and orchestra. Several of his compositions use modern 12-tone techniques. He also pioneered in electronic music. Powell’s major compositions include the string quartet “Filigree Setting” (1959) and “Haiku Setting” (1960) for voice and piano.
Powell was born in New York City. His real name was Melvin Epstein. He began his music career as pianist and arranger for the Benny Goodman orchestra from 1942 to 1944, when he joined the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. By the late 1940’s, Powell was recognized as one of the brightest young talents in jazz. However, he left jazz to study classical music, receiving a degree in music from Yale University in 1952. Composer Paul Hindemith was one of his teachers at Yale.
Powell taught at Mannes College at the City University of New York in the mid-1950’s. He then returned to Yale, where he taught from 1957 to 1969. At Yale, he became chairman of the composition faculty and director of one of the first electronic music studios in the United States. In 1969, Powell began teaching at the School of Music at the California Institute of the Arts, serving as dean of the school during the 1970’s.
