Editing Robert Ward (composer) (section)

==Major works==
Ward earned a [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] for meritorious service in the [[Aleutian Islands]]. During his military service Ward managed to compose two serious orchestral compositions, ''Adagio and Allegro'', first performed in New York in 1944, and ''Jubilation: An Overture'', which was written mostly on [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], Japan, in 1945, and was premiered at [[Carnegie Hall]] by the National Orchestral Association the following spring.

After being discharged from military service at the end of the war, Ward returned to Juilliard, earning postgraduate certificate in 1946 and immediately joining the faculty, teaching there until 1956. He served as an Associate in Music at [[Columbia University]] from 1946 to 1948.

Ward wrote his ''Second Symphony'', dedicated to his wife, in 1947, while living in [[Nyack, New York|Nyack]], New York. It was premiered by the [[National Symphony Orchestra (United States)|National Symphony Orchestra]] conducted by [[Hans Kindler]]. This symphony was quite popular for a few years, in part thanks to [[Eugene Ormandy]] playing it with the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]] several times and even taking it on tour to Carnegie Hall in New York and [[Constitution Hall]] in Washington, D.C.

Andrew Stiller, in his article on Ward for ''[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', describes Ward's musical style as deriving "largely from [[Paul Hindemith|Hindemith]], but also shows the considerable influence of [[George Gershwin|Gershwin]]".

Ward conducted the Doctors Orchestral Society of New York from 1949 to 1955, wrote his ''Third Symphony'' and his ''First Sonata for Violin and Piano'' in 1950, the ''Sacred Songs for Pantheists'' in 1951, and was music director of the [[Third Street Music School Settlement]] from 1952 to 1955, and wrote the ''Euphony for Orchestra'' in 1954. He left Juilliard in 1956 to become Executive Vice-President of [[Galaxy Music Corporation]] and Managing Editor of High Gate Press in New York, positions he maintained until 1967. Ward wrote his ''Fourth Symphony'' in 1958, the ''Prairie Overture'' in 1957, the cantata ''Earth Shall Be Fair'' and the ''Divertimento'' in 1960.

Ward wrote his first [[opera]] to a [[libretto]] by [[Bernard Stambler]], ''[[He Who Gets Slapped (opera)|He Who Gets Slapped]]'', and it was premiered in 1956. His next opera, ''[[The Crucible (opera)|The Crucible]]'', based on [[Arthur Miller]]'s [[The Crucible|play]], premiered in 1961, became Ward's best known work. For it Ward received the 1962 [[Pulitzer Prize for Music]]. It is frequently produced around the world.

After the success of ''The Crucible'', Ward received several commissions for ceremonial works, such as ''Hymn and Celebration'' in 1962, ''Music for a Celebration'' in 1963, ''Festive Ode'' in 1966, ''Fiesta Processional'' in 1966, and ''Music for a Great Occasion'' in 1970. During those years he also wrote the [[cantata]], ''Sweet Freedom's Song'', in 1965; the ''Fifth Symphony'' in 1976; a ''Piano Concerto'' in 1968, which was commissioned by the Powder River Foundation for the soloist Marjorie Mitchell; a ''Saxophone Concerto'' in 1984; and the operas ''The Lady from Colorado'' in 1964, ''Claudia Leqare'' in 1977, ''Abelard and Heloise'' in 1981, ''Minutes till Midnight'' in 1982, and ''Roman Fever'' in 1993 (based on the short story of [[Roman Fever|the same name]] by [[Edith Wharton]]). He also wrote chamber music, such as the ''First String Quartet'' of 1966 and the ''Raleigh Divertimento'' of 1985.

His work has been championed by such conductors as [[Igor Buketoff]], who recorded the 3rd and 6th symphonies.