Dlugoszewski, Lucia (1925–2000)

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Dlugoszewski, Lucia (1925–2000)

American composer, pianist, teacher, poet, and inventor of percussion instruments. Name variations: Lucia Dlugoszevski. Born June 16, 1925, in Detroit, Michigan; found dead in her apartment in Greenwich Village, NY, April 11, 2000; studied under Agelageth Morrison at Detroit Conservatory of Music; attended Wayne State University; studied piano in NY under Grete Sultan, and at Mannes School of Music (1950–51).

Won Tompkins literary award for poetry (1947); was the 1st woman to win the Koussevitzky Prize; taught at New York University and New School for Social Research (1960s); invented over 100 percussion instruments made of plastic, metal, glass and wood, the best known being the timbre piano which has bows and plectra in addition to a keyboard; often composed for these instruments: Naked Swift Music used the timbre piano and Concert of Many Rooms and Moving Space used 4 unsheltered rattles; often composed for the Erick Hawkins Company.

See also Women in World History.