Lukas Foss – Pianist and Composer Dies at 86

Lukas Foss, an American pianist and composer, has died. He was 86.
Foss also had a career as a conductor.
His works include solo pieces for piano, choral and chamber music and many orchestral works in styles ranging from neo-classical to contemporary.
Born Lukas Fuchs in Berlin Aug. 15, 1922, he studied piano and music theory and composed music from an early age. He moved to Paris to study piano with Lazare Lévy in 1933. In 1937, he left for the U.S., where he studied composition with Paul Hindemith at Yale and conducting with Sergey Koussevitzky at Tanglewood.

He was known for composing in different musical styles, often combining past and present influences and techniques. An accomplished pianist, he performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was also an experienced conductor, working with such orchestras as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony and the Milwaukee Symphony. Foss directed six Ojai Music Festivals and led 12 marathon concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, each dedicated to one composer. He succeeded Arnold Schoenberg as head of composition at UCLA and taught there for 10 years.

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Samples of piano music by Lukas Foss

Samples of Piano Concertos no 1 and 2