The composer James Primosch has died.

A Philadelphia presence for many years, Primosch earned his master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a student of George Crumb and Richard Wernick.

He went on to obtain his doctorate from Columbia, where he studied with Mario Davidovsky. He also served as a teaching assistant at the Columbia Electronic Music Center.

He returned to Philadelphia to join the faculty of U of P in 1988. There he became director of the Presser Electronic Music Studio.

Earlier, he studied at Cleveland State University. Primosch was born in Cleveland in 1956.

Acclaimed for his word-setting and poetic nuance, he composed quite a bit of music for voice. His Catholic faith informed his sacred works. He was also a jazz enthusiast. His compositional language could be angular or unabashedly lyrical. His music has been much performed, much recorded, and much honored.

Among the organizations and ensembles to have programmed his pieces are the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic New Music Ensemble, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Locally, his music has been performed by The Crossing, Dolce Suono, Mendelssohn Club, Network for New Music, Orchestra 2001, the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, and Westminster Choir College.

In 1994, he served as artist-in-residence at the Marlboro Music Festival.

Primosch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2020.

R.I.P.

Meditation on “Motherless Child,” from the Piano Quintet

From his “Mass for the Day of St. Didymus,” performed by The Crossing

Here it is complete

Oboe Quartet

“Our Revels Now Are Ended” from “Songs and Dances from ‘The Tempest’”

“One with the Darkness, One with the Light”