The Composition

The Elegy For a Young American was written in 1964 and is dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy. The many stages of mourning can be felt as the work unfolds. A quiet adagio sets a tone of respect and solemnity in the beginning. Feelings of shock and denial are reflected by the dynamics and octave jumps in the melody. Anger and remorse express themselves, but they are replaced with a resolution of the loss and an allegro celebration of the contributions of this great American. The maestoso closing reminds us again of our loss.

The Composer

Ronald Lo Presti was born in 1933 in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and a former Ford Foundation composer-in-residence. He taught at Texas Technical University, Indiana State College, and  Arizona State University. Lo Presti has been the recipient of several Ford Foundation grants to young American composers.  He passed away in 1985.

The Performance

Performed at Large Group Performance Evaluation 2013