David Diamond

About

Twentieth-century classical composer whose works include symphonies, concertos, sonatas, string quartets, and vocal music. He is best known for a 1944 string orchestra piece called Rounds.

Before Fame

He studied at both the Eastman School of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Trivia

He received the prestigious National Medal of Arts in 1995.

Family Life

A Jew and an open homosexual, he was subjected to religious and sexual orientation discrimination that tempered his career success.

Associated With

He taught at the Juilliard School, where some of his pupils included Eric Whitacre, Kenneth Fuchs, and Francis Thorne.