Carlisle Floyd

  • Composer.

    In addition to incomparable lyricism, structural perfection, and perfectly-placed chromaticism, Carlisle's voice is distinctly his. Whether in his concert work or operas, the notes take the listener through a narrative of humanity unparalleled by so many of his generation and beyond. His music reaches the listener through a direct channel to the soul.

    -Mark Lewis, Composer

  • Mentor.

    His skills as a mentor were at least as great as the musical components of his gift. Regardless of the specialties of his individual collaborators--singers, conductors, directors, students of all stripes--he dispensed the rarest amalgam of truth and tact. His criticism was delivered with the kindness and generosity that inspire growth, the hallmark of the greatest mentors.

    -Thomas Holliday, biographer

  • Visionary.

    Carlisle was fearless, brave and bold in his commitment to authenticity - to his true creative voice. He emerged at a time when academia and the so-called avant-garde had taken over and were dictating what was "acceptable" in terms of new music and theater. Carlisle ignored all of that, ignored fads and trends, and wrote from his heart and soul to give us operas of soaring beauty, searing drama, truth in storytelling and character.

    -Jake Heggie, Composer

In his own words.

Carlisle Floyd in interviews on art and music as well as excerpts from many of his operas.

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  • His powerful impact in the world of opera, creating a uniquely American voice, weaving a tapestry of words and music into unforgettable dramatic experiences is an enduring legacy.

    Joan Eidman, Harpist

  • He unapologetically followed his own sense of musical style and developed his own musical language throughout his life. He passed his knowledge on to us... the next generation of composers and librettists, and we in turn are passing his knowledge on to our students and to the people who hear our compositions.

    Mary Carol Warwick, composer

  • Carlisle's music has the ability to grab you by the throat, the gut, the soul and not let you go.

    Daniel Belcher, baritone

  • Carlisle told me he had written Of Mice and Men and something was not quite right [with the libretto]. A colleague pointed out the dramatic problem and Carlisle threw all his work in the trash and began again. I thought I can learn something from this man who is so ruthless with his own work.

    Kate Pogue, Librettist & Author

About Carlisle Floyd

(June 11, 1926- September 30, 2021)

Carlisle Floyd, the "Father of American Opera," was one of the greatest composers and librettists of opera of the last century. Born in 1926, Floyd earned B.M. and M.M. degrees in piano and composition at Syracuse University. He began his teaching career in 1947 at Florida State University, remaining there until 1976, when he accepted the prestigious M. D. Anderson Professorship at the University of Houston. In addition, he was co-founder with David Gockley of the Houston Opera Studio, jointly created by the University of Houston and Houston Grand Opera.

Floyd first achieved national prominence with the New York premiere of his opera Susannah (1953–54) by the New York City Opera in 1956. In 1957 it won the New York Music Critics’ Circle Award and subsequently was chosen to be America’s official operatic entry at the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair.

His second opera, Wuthering Heights, premiered at Santa Fe Opera in 1958, and continues to have life decades later—a critically acclaimed recording, released by The Florentine Opera in June 2016 on Reference Recordings, was listed in Opera News’ 10 Best Opera Recordings of 2016.

Based on the Steinbeck novella, Of Mice and Men (1969) is another of Floyd’s most performed works throughout the world. It was commissioned by the Ford Foundation and was given its premiere by the Seattle Opera in 1970.

Bilby’s Doll (1976) and Willie Stark (1981), were both commissioned and produced by the Houston Grand Opera, the latter in association with the Kennedy Center. A televised version of the world premiere production of Willie Stark opened WNET’s Great Performances series on the PBS network in September of 1981.

Cold Sassy Tree (2000), received its premiere at Houston Grand Opera in April 2000. Subsequently, it has been performed by Austin Lyric Opera, Central City Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Carolina, Opera Omaha, San Diego Opera, Utah Opera, and Atlanta Opera.

Floyd’s most recent opera, Prince of Players, premiered in March 2016 as a chamber opera by the Houston Grand Opera. The world premiere live recording of the opera by Florentine Opera, Milwaukee Symphony, and William Boggs on Reference Recordings was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards in 2021: Best Opera Recording and Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

His non-operatic works include the orchestral song cycle Citizen of Paradise (1984), which received its New York premiere with world-renowned mezzo-soprano Suzanne Mentzer. A Time to Dance (1993), his large-scale work for chorus, bass-baritone soloist, and orchestra, was commissioned by the American Choral Directors Association.

Among Floyd’s numerous awards and honors are a Guggenheim Fellowship (1956); Citation of Merit from the National Association of American Conductors and Composers (1957); National Opera Institute’s Award for Service to American Opera (1983); and the National Medal of Arts in a ceremony at the White House (2004). In 2008, Floyd was one of four honorees—and the only composer—to be included in the inaugural National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors. Additionally, he served on the Music Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1974–80 and was the first chairman of the Opera/Musical Theater Panel.

In 2001, Floyd was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He also was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame (2011) and the Florida Artist Hall of Fame (2015). He was awarded six honorary doctorates.

During the 2015–16 season, Floyd partnered with Opera America to produce "Masters at Work," a live, interactive webcast exploring the making of an opera.

The music of Carlisle Floyd is published exclusively by Boosey & Hawkes.

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David Gockley
on Carlisle