Lawrence Dillon
Concert/Classical Composer

"Ordinarily, when a composer decides to write an opera, he or she devotes a considerable amount of time to reading plays, short stories and novels, hoping to find a tale that will lend itself to musical rendering. One looks for very specific and elusive ingredients -- just the right combination of concise action, clearly defined characters and, above all, expressive solo and ensemble scenes. For me, however, many of the resulting operas show their roots all too clearly. Exceptions (the opera that equals or outshines the play or story it comes from) are rare. For that reason, I have set out to write an opera that tells a story that couldn’t possibly be told in any other way, an opera in which the action requires music in order to be understood."

Lawrence Dillon earned his doctorate in composition from The Juilliard School where he taught for four years. His music is recorded by Contemporary Record Society and published by American Composers Editions. He is currently Assistant Dean of the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Return to the NC Artist Grant
Award Recipients for 1999-2000