Professor Joan Tower Wins Columbia University Dean’s Award for Lifetime Achievement
Professor Joan Tower.
Asher B. Edelman Professor in the Arts Joan Tower was awarded the Dean’s Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). The Dean’s Award is given to Columbia alumni/ae who achieve outstanding success in their field and have a positive impact on the world at large. “Through a prolific body of commissioned works, sustained mentorship of generations of composers, and a bold, distinctive musical voice, you have expanded both the possibilities and the audiences of modern classical Composition,” wrote GSAS Dean Carlos Alonso of Tower’s achievement.
Tower has taught at Bard since 1972. She is a renowned composer, performer, and conductor and her works have been commissioned by major ensembles, soloists, and orchestras, including the Emerson, Tokyo, and Muir quartets and soloists Evelyn Glennie, Carol Wincenc, David Shifrin, and John Browning. She teaches at the Bard College Conservatory of Music, which aims to provide the best possible preparation for students immersed in the creation and performance of music.
Post Date: 02-11-2026
Tower has taught at Bard since 1972. She is a renowned composer, performer, and conductor and her works have been commissioned by major ensembles, soloists, and orchestras, including the Emerson, Tokyo, and Muir quartets and soloists Evelyn Glennie, Carol Wincenc, David Shifrin, and John Browning. She teaches at the Bard College Conservatory of Music, which aims to provide the best possible preparation for students immersed in the creation and performance of music.
Post Date: 02-11-2026