Aaron Jay Kernis

Aaron Jay Kernis is one of the leading American composers of his generation. He began violin lessons early and taught himself piano and composition as a teenager. He gained national attention in 1983 when the New York Philharmonic premiered his orchestral piece 'Dream of the Morning Sky'. His music draws on a wide palette that includes jazz, cantorial music, current events and popular music, and it combines lyrical richness with vigorous instrumental writing. Critics praise his fearless originality.

Kernis has written for renowned artists and institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, Renée Fleming, Joshua Bell and the Walt‑Disney Company. His achievements have been recognized with major awards, including the 2002 Grawemeyer Award, the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for his second string quartet 'musica instrumentalis', the 2011 Nemmers Prize and a Grammy Award for his Violin Concerto. He teaches composition at the Yale School of Music and is regarded as a leading figure in contemporary music.