This is the first book to focus exclusively on Vincent Persichetti, whose widespread influence as composer, conductor, and educator has had a significant impact on twentieth-century American music. A gifted pianist, Persichetti often performed the works of others as well as his own, and many of his compositions have become classics of the twentieth-century repertoire. Because of his long teaching career and guest appearances at universities throughout the United States, Persichetti became an important figure in American musical education as well, and is the author of the definitive textbook on twentieth-century harmony. The present volume contains the most extensive selection of biographical material ever published on Persichetti, and provides a listing of his compositions by chronology and opus number. It details the premiere of each work and describes other major performances, which are cross-referenced to citations in the bibliography and discography. Following the annotated bibliography of more than 507 entries on all aspects of Persichetti's style and music is an annotated bibliographical section on Persichetti's writings. There is an extensive discography of commercially produced recordings which includes, for each selection, information on performers date of issue and recording company. In addition, the appendixes provide alphabetical, chronological, and opus-number-order listing of all his works.

This volume, Number 16 in The Music Reference Collection: Bio-Bibliographies in Music, is intended as an introduction to Persichetti's life and work, and it provides a source of useful research materials for scholars, educators performers, historians, and professionals in the field of music.