Carlisle Floyd
American composer (1926-2021) · United States · On the map · Musicians · Died at 95
Carlisle Sessions Floyd was an American composer primarily known for his operas. These stage works, for which he wrote not only the music but also the librettos, typically engage with themes from the American South, particularly the Post-civil war South, the Great Depression and rural life.
Carlisle Floyd is read about 52 times a day, in 14 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 24 September 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?People around Carlisle
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Awards
About this person
His best known opera, Susannah, is based on a story from the Biblical Apocrypha, transferred to contemporary rural Tennessee, and written for a Southern dialect. It was premiered at Florida State University in 1955, with Phyllis Curtin in the title role. When it was staged at the New York City Opera the following year, the reception was initially mixed; some considered it a masterpiece, while others degraded it as a 'folk opera'. Subsequent performances led to an increase in Susannah's reputation and the opera quickly became among the most performed of American operas.
Where to find them
The same award as Carlisle
Howard HansonBoth received Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award
William WarfieldBoth received Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award
Clark TerryBoth received Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award
Frederick FennellBoth received Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award
Maynard FergusonBoth received Charles E. Lutton Man of Music AwardJamey AebersoldBoth received Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award