In Memoriam Dr. Emma Lou Diemer

Professor Emma Lou Diemer was a pioneer in her time—an exceptional composer, performer, and visionary in the field of electronic music. She paved the way for the UCSB Department of Music to become a leader in this innovative area. As a role model for women composers, she distinguished herself with an outstanding background in music composition during an era when it was challenging for women to gain recognition in the field. She studied with prominent figures such as Howard Hanson, Ernest Bloch, and Paul Hindemith, earned her Master’s in Music Composition from Yale University, and her PhD from the Eastman School of Music in 1960.

Dr. Diemer was a Professor of Theory and Composition at the University of Maryland from 1965 to 1970, before joining the UCSB Department of Music in 1971. She was a founding member of the Composition faculty and taught until her retirement in 1990. Throughout her career, she continued to compose and publish works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, organ, and more. She also served as a devoted organist at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara.

Professor Diemer was an internationally recognized figure with over 250 published compositions for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensemble, keyboard, voice, and electronic media. An accomplished keyboardist, she performed her own organ works at prestigious venues such as the Washington National Cathedral. Her musical style spanned both tonal and complex atonal works, demonstrating her remarkable versatility.

Her numerous honors include awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), the American Guild of Organists, and the Kennedy Center Friedheim Award in 1992 for her Concerto in One Movement for Piano. She was also featured on NPR, recognized as one of the most prolific composers of her time.

Professor Emma Lou Diemer made significant contributions to contemporary music composition and organ performance, leaving a lasting legacy. She will be remembered as an influential figure in 20th and 21st-century music and for her invaluable mentorship to future generations of musicians.
 

Written by JoAnn Kuchera-Morin
Director, AlloSphere Research Laboratory
Professor, Media Arts and Technology and Music
University of California, Santa Barbara

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