Virgil Thomson
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About
Composer and critic who was instrumental in the development of the 'American Sound' in classical music. He wrote two operas with Gertrude Stein, 'Four Saints in Three Acts' and 'The Mother of Us All.' He also composed incidental music for Orson Welles' version of 'Macbeth' from 1936.
Before Fame
He studied with Erik Satie at Harvard. He was a student under Nadia Boulanger while in Paris where he attained great popularity.
Trivia
He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1988.
Family Life
He was raised in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He attended Harvard University thanks to a loan from the Mormon church.
Associated With
He befriended Ernest Hemingway when he moved to Paris in the 1940s.
