https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Larry_PolanskyLarry Polansky - Revision history2026-08-06T04:29:34ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.44.2https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Larry_Polansky&diff=249266&oldid=previmported>MakingMs: /* Biography */2025-10-29T04:08:23Z<p><span class="autocomment">Biography</span></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|American classical composer (1954–2024)}}<br />
[[File:Polansky.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Polansky in 2009]]<br />
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'''Larry Polansky''' (October 16, 1954 – May 9, 2024) was an American composer,<ref>{{Cite journal | last=Fiore | first=Giacomo | date=2014 | title=Heterophonic Tunings in the Music of Larry Polansky | url=https://eamusic.dartmouth.edu/~larry/misc_writings/writings_interviews/fiore_tempo.pdf | journal=Tempo | volume=68 | issue=267 | pages=29–41 | doi=10.1017/S0040298213001319 }}</ref> [[guitarist]], [[mandolin]]ist, and academic. <br />
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==Biography==<br />
Polansky was born on October 16, 1954, in [[New York City]] to first-generation [[Jewish-American]] parents. He grew up in [[Valley Stream, New York|Valley Stream, Nassau County, Long Island]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Larry Polansky Obituary (1954–2024) |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/vnews/name/larry-polansky-obituary?id=55488109<br />
|website=Legacy.com |access-date=October 28, 2025}}</ref> He became fascinated with the guitar from an early age, which remained central to his work throughout his life. He failed his senior-year English class but was allowed to graduate from high school in 1972 due to high SAT scores.<br />
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The brother of the writer Steven Polansky, Polansky read mathematics and music at the [[University of California, Santa Cruz]] (UCSC), graduating in 1977.<ref name="UCSCobit"/> He served on the faculty of [[Dartmouth College]] and held the title of Emeritus Strauss Professor of Music upon his retirement from Dartmouth. He subsequently returned to UCSC and served on the UCSC music faculty from 2013 to 2019.<ref name="UCSCobit"/> He was a founding member and co-director of [[Frog Peak Music]] (a composers' collective). He co-wrote [[HMSL]] (Hierarchical Music Specification Language) with [[Phil Burk]] and [[David Rosenboom]].<br />
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There are several recordings of his work, including ''Four-Voice Canons'' (an album of [[prolation canon|mensuration canons]]). He served as co-producer of ''Asmat Dream: New Music Indonesia, Vol. I''.{{cn|date=May 2024}}<br />
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Polansky was previously married to ethnomusicologist and performer [[Jody Diamond]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Arts & Artists: Larry Polansky, Composer, Hanover, NH |url=https://www.nh.gov/nharts/artsandartists/2007%20Fellows/larrypolansky.htm |website=New Hampshire State Council on the Arts |access-date=10 May 2024}}</ref> Music historian and musician Amy C. Beal was his long time partner and frequent musical collaborator.<ref>{{cite web |title=These Are the Generations Liner Notes |url=https://nwr-site-liner-notes.s3.amazonaws.com/80819.pdf|access-date=13 May 2024}}</ref><br />
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Polansky died on May 9, 2024, at the age of 69.<ref name="UCSCobit">{{cite news | url=https://news.ucsc.edu/2024/05/in-memoriam-larry-polansky.html | title=In Memoriam: Larry Polansky | work=UCSC News Center (University of California Santa Cruz) | author=Gaby Messino | date=2024-05-23 | accessdate=2024-05-24}}</ref><br />
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==Discography==<br />
Source:<ref>{{Cite web|title=index.html|url=http://eamusic.dartmouth.edu/~larry/published_articles/index.html|access-date=2021-12-19|website=eamusic.dartmouth.edu}}</ref><br />
* ''freeHorn'' (2017, Cold Blue Music)<br />
* ''Three Pieces for Two Pianos'' (2016, [[New World Records]])<br />
* ''The World's Longest Melody'' (2010, New World Records, featuring Zwerm guitar quartet)<br />
* ''The Theory of Impossible Melody'' (1990, Artifact Recordings; 2008 Reissue on New World Records)<br />
* ''Trios'' (2004, Pogus CDs, with Douglas Repetto, Tom Erbe, Chris Mann, [[Christian Wolff (composer)|Christian Wolff]])<br />
* ''Four Voice Canons'' (2002, Cold Blue Recordings)<br />
* ''Change'' (2002, Artifact Recordings)<br />
* ''Lonesome Road'' (2001, New World Records, featuring Martin Christ, piano)<br />
* ''Simple Harmonic Motion'' (1994, Artifact Recordings)<br />
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==Further reading==<br />
*Dunn, David [http://www.dramonline.org/albums/larry-polansky-the-theory-of-impossible-melody-2/notes "The Theory of Impossible Melody"]. Liner notes essay. [[New World Records]].<br />
*Beal, Amy C. [http://www.dramonline.org/albums/miwako-abe-works-for-violin-by-antheil-beyer-cowell-dodge-crawford-mahler-polansky-and-wolpe/notes "Nature is the Best Dictator"]. Liner notes essay. [[New World Records]].<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* [http://eamusic.dartmouth.edu/~larry/ Larry Polansky's Dartmouth Page]<br />
* [http://www.frogpeak.org/fpartists/fppolansky.html Frog Peak Artist: Larry Polansky]<br />
* [http://arcanecandy.com/category/larry-polansky/ Larry Polansky at Arcane Candy]<br />
* [http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/fales/mss_405/ Larry Polansky Papers at New York University Fales Library & Special Collections]<br />
* [https://eamusic.dartmouth.edu/~larry/bios/slightly_longer_bio.pdf Dartmouth College biography of Larry Polansky]<br />
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[[Category:1954 births]]<br />
[[Category:2024 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century American classical composers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century American classical composers]]<br />
[[Category:American male classical composers]]<br />
[[Category:Dartmouth College faculty]]<br />
[[Category:Pupils of James Tenney]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century American guitarists]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century American guitarists]]<br />
[[Category:Experimental Music Studios alumni]]<br />
[[Category:American male guitarists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]<br />
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