Richard Peaslee
Richard Peaslee (June 13, 1930, New York NY – August 20, 2016) was a composer who worked in a variety of idioms, including chorus, orchestra, dance, and soundtracks for film and television, but he was most active as a composer for the theatre.
Richard Peaslee
- Born
- 1930 · New York City.
- Died
- 2016
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- composer
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Richard Peaslee (June 13, 1930, New York NY – August 20, 2016) was a composer who worked in a variety of idioms, including chorus, orchestra, dance, and soundtracks for film and television, but he was most active as a composer for the theatre.
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In this article
Education
Education
He received his undergraduate degree in Music Composition from Yale University, and after serving two years in the U.S. Army, received a master's degree from The Juilliard School, in addition to studying privately with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and William Russo in New York and London.
Works
Works
He had written the music for:
London
London
• the Peter Brook / Royal Shakespeare Company productions of Marat/Sade, A Midsummer Night's Dream, US / Tell Me Lies and Antony and Cleopatra; • Peter Hall / National Theatre Animal Farm; • Terry Hands / RSC Tamburlaine the Great; • and the musical Moby-Dick.
New York City
New York City
• Joseph Papp / New York Shakespeare Festival Richard III, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, Troilus and Cressida and Antigone; • Martha Clarke and Music Theatre Group The Garden of Earthly Delights, Vienna Lusthaus, The Hunger Artist and Miracolo d'Amore; • Broadway Indians, Teibele and Her Demon, Frankenstein and Boccaccio; • children's / family theatre The Snow Queen, The Children's Crusade and Tanglewood Tales; and an opera, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. • Golden Fleece Ltd., The Composers Chamber Theater
Dance
Dance
• Touch, commissioned and performed by the New York City Ballet • The Four Humours, commissioned and performed by the Pilobolus dance company
Symphonic and jazz works
Symphonic and jazz works
Peaslee's works have been performed by the Philadelphia, Detroit, Seattle, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Buffalo Symphony Orchestras; William Russo's London Jazz Orchestra, Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Stan Kenton and Ted Heath Orchestras and Gerry Mulligan. Arrows of Time for Solo Trombone and Band was composed in 1993 for Joseph Alessi and the United States Army Band.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1930
Richard Peaslee born at New York City.
2016
Richard Peaslee died.
Film and television
His film scores include the Peter Brook films Marat/Sade (1967) and Tell Me Lies (1968). His music for television includes the Emmy-nominated score for Joseph Campbell/Bill Moyers series The Power of Myth, Claudia Shear's Blown Sideways Through Life (American Playhouse), and Time/Life's Wild, Wild World of Animals.
Awards
• American Academy of Arts and Letters Marc Blitzstein award • Obie • Villager Award • NEA fellowships. • NYFA fellowships.
Citations
References
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reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 28 September 2026.
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