Elizabeth Anne Schwerdtfeger (1 February 1930 - 11 September 2008) was an American composer,[1] choral conductor,[2] educator, and Fulbright scholar who spent several years as a Dominican nun and was also known as Sister Mary Ernest O.P. (Ordo Praedicatorum). She was known professionally as E. Anne Schwerdtfeger.[3][4]

Schwerdtfeger was born in Galveston, Texas,[5] to Frances McLaughlin and Ernest Paul Schwerdtfeger.[6] In 1950, she lived in a Dominican convent and studied at the Dominican College in Houston. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Texas in 1953 and a Master of Music degree at the University of Notre Dame in 1963.[7] Her teachers included Arthur Hall, Clifton Williams, and Carl Hager. She received a Fulbright scholarship to study in France in 1963 and 1964. In 1969, the Dominican Sisters of Houston, Texas, commissioned Schwerdtfeger to compose Two Pieces for women's voices based on text by Rabindranath Tagore.[2] She chaired the Dominican College music department until 1972.[3]

In 1975, Schwerdtfeger earned a B. Oriental Liturgy from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, and a Lic. Oriental Liturgy in 1977.[3] She remained in Rome until her death in 2008.[8] Her compositions included:

Chamber

Orchestra

Organ

Piano

Vocal

References

  1. ^ Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
  2. ^ a b c Heinrich, Adel (1991). Organ and harpsichord music by women composers : an annotated catalog. New York: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-38790-6. OCLC 650307517.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers (Second edition, revised and enlarged ed.). New York. ISBN 0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Drone, Jeanette Marie (2007). Musical AKAs : assumed names and sobriquets of composers, songwriters, librettists, lyricists, hymnists, and writers on music. Lanham, Maryland. ISBN 978-0-8108-5739-1. OCLC 62858081.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Stern, Susan (1978). Women composers : a handbook. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1138-3. OCLC 3844725.
  6. ^ Schwerdtfeger, Elizabeth Ann. "Birth Certificate". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  7. ^ Anderson, Ruth (1976). Contemporary American composers : a biographical dictionary. Boston: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-1117-0. OCLC 2035024.
  8. ^ Schwerdtfege, Elizabeth A. "Social Security Death Index". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 11 Nov 2022.
  9. ^ Stewart-Green, Miriam (1980). Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-8498-4. OCLC 6815939.
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