Photo: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · credits
Timeline
22 events▣ Album 13✦ Award 6◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1910s
1930s
1940s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Symphony no. 2 / Symphony no. 4 / Concerto for Small Orchestra
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Symphony no. 2 / Symphony no. 4 / Concerto for Small Orchestra
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: Symphony no. 3 / Kaddish for Cello and Orchestra / Romeo & Juliet / Psalm
Album
source: musicbrainz
2000s
· Album
Album: String Quartets, Volume One: String Quartets 3 & 8 / Concerto for String Quartet
Album
source: musicbrainz
· Album
Album: String Quartets, Volume Four: String Quartets 4 & 7 / Night Music for Accordion & String Quartet
Album
source: musicbrainz
2010s
· Album
Album: Symphony no. 6 / Rounds for String Orchestra / Romeo and Juliet
Album
source: musicbrainz
Biography
English biography466 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1373371690
Biography
David Leo Diamond (July 9, 1915 – June 13, 2005) was an American composer of classical music. He is considered one of the preeminent American composers of his generation. Many of his works are tonal or modal. His early compositions are typically triadic, often with widely spaced harmonies, giving them a distinctly American tone, but some of his works are consciously French in style. His later style became more chromatic.
Life and career
He was born in Rochester, New York, and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music under Bernard Rogers, also receiving lessons from Roger Sessions in New York City and Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He won a number of awards including three Guggenheim Fellowships.
Diamond's most popular piece is Rounds (1944) for string orchestra. Among his other works are eleven symphonies (the last in 1993), concertos including three for violin, eleven string quartets, music for wind ensemble, other chamber music, piano pieces and vocal music.
He composed the musical theme heard on the CBS Radio Network broadcast Hear It Now (1950–51) and its TV successor, See It Now (1951–58).
Diamond was named honorary composer-in-residence of the Seattle Symphony. He was a longtime member of the Juilliard School faculty, his notable students including Alan Belkin, Robert Black, Kenneth Fuchs, Albert Glinsky, Daron Hagen, Adolphus Hailstork, Anthony Iannaccone, Amanda Harberg, Philip Lasser, Lowell Liebermann, Alasdair MacLean, Charles Strouse, Francis Thorne, Kendall Durelle Briggs and Eric Whitacre. Diamond is also credited with advising Glenn Gould on his mid-career work, most notably his String Quartet, Op. 1.
In 1995, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 1991 he was awarded the Edward MacDowell Medal.
Diamond was openly gay long before it was socially acceptable, and believed his career was slowed by homophobia and antisemitism. According to an obituary in The Guardian however, "He enjoyed enormous success in the 1940s and early '50s with champions that included Koussevitzky, Bernstein, Munch, Ormandy and Mitropoulos but, in the 1960s and '70s, the serial and modernist schools pushed him into the shadows." The New York Times similarly referred to Diamond as "a major American composer whose early brilliance in the 1940s was eclipsed by the dominance of atonal music... He was part of what some considered a forgotten generation of great American symphonists, including Howard Hanson, Roy Harris, William Schuman, Walter Piston and Peter Mennin." The New York Times also suggested that Diamond's career troubles may have also been caused by his "difficult personality... he said in the 1990 interview, 'I was a highly emotional young man, very honest in my behavior, and I would say things in public that would cause a scene between me and, for instance, a conductor.'"
In 2005, Diamond died at his home in Brighton, Monroe County, New York, from heart failure.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 20 | 81.1th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 13 | 84th |
| Studio albums | 13 | 93.5th |
| Awards recorded | 6 | 97.7th |
| Timeline events | 22 | 94.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 15 | 35.8th |
| Genres | 10 | 96.5th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (13 release groups · 13 studio albums)
Albums · 13
Symphony no. 2 / Symphony no. 4 / Concerto for Small Orchestra
1990 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 1:13:17
1Symphony no. 4: I. Allegretto5:092Symphony no. 4: II. Adagio - Andante5:293Symphony no. 4: III. Allegro6:014Concerto for Small Orchestra: I6:185Concerto for Small Orchestra: II7:296Symphony no. 2: I. Adagio funèbre14:087Symphony no. 2: II. Allegro vivo5:548Symphony no. 2: III. Andante espressivo, quasi adagio14:299Symphony no. 2: IV. Allegro vigoroso8:20Symphony no. 3 / Kaddish for Cello and Orchestra / Romeo & Juliet / Psalm
1992 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:14:16
1Music for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”: Overture: Allegro maestoso3:122Music for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”: Balcony Scene: Andante semplice5:063Music for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”: Romeo and Friar Laurence: Andante3:414Music for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”: Juliet and Her Nurse: Allegretto scherzando2:145Music for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”: The Death of Romeo and Juliet: Adagio sospirando9:226Psalm8:487Kaddish for Violoncello and Orchestra10:478Symphony no. 3: I. Allegro deciso8:509Symphony no. 3: II. Andante9:2610Symphony no. 3: III. Allegro vivo5:5811Symphony no. 3: IV. Adagio assai6:52Symphony no. 1 / Violin Concerto no. 2 / The Enormous Room
1993 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:11:01
1Symphony no. 1: I. Allegro moderato con energica7:082Symphony no. 1: II. Andante maestoso8:313Symphony no. 1: III. Maestoso - Adagio - Allegro vivo6:284Violin Concerto no. 2: I. Allegro aperto11:255Violin Concerto no. 2: II. Adagio affettuoso11:096Violin Concerto no. 2: III. Allegro vivo10:497The Enormous Room15:31Symphony no. 8 / Suite from TOM / This Sacred Ground
1994 · studio album
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Tracklist · 15 tracks · 1:08:52
1Suite from the Ballet TOM: I. Fanfare1:002Suite from the Ballet TOM: II. Prelude to Episode I2:193Suite from the Ballet TOM: III. Introduction and Dance of the Benevolent Master & Mistress2:164Suite from the Ballet TOM: IV. Eliza's Supplication0:555Suite from the Ballet TOM: V. The Mortgage1:046Suite from the Ballet TOM: VI. Dance of the Slavetraders and Human Bloodhounds1:127Suite from the Ballet TOM: VII. Dance of Thankfulness for Freedom3:418Suite from the Ballet TOM: VIII. Dance of New England and New Orleans2:209Suite from the Ballet TOM: IX. Entrance of Eva2:1910Suite from the Ballet TOM: X. Tom's Dance of Revelation1:2411Suite from the Ballet TOM: XI. Eva's Departure and Ascent into Heaven2:5712Suite from the Ballet TOM: XII. Choral Spiritual - Conclusion1:4813This Sacred Ground15:3214Symphony no. 8: I. Moderato - Adagio - Allegro vivo13:2015Symphony no. 8: II. Theme, Variations, and Double Fugue16:451995 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 1:01:15
1Ceremonial Fanfare1:442Tantiviy9:163Sketches on a Tudor Psalm11:374Divertimento in F: I. Fanfare (to Fisher Tull)1:455Divertimento in F: II. Fate: In Memoriam William Schuman5:326Divertimento in F: III. Fury (to Joan Tower)2:457Divertimento in F: IV. Faith (to Mike, Gary, Bud, and David)3:478Divertimento in F: V. Frolic (to David Diamond)2:089Symphony for Band: I. Andante - Allegro moderato6:2910Symphony for Band: II. Adagio non tanto5:5911Symphony for Band: III. Allegro ritmico5:1912Celebration Fanfare from Stepping Stones4:541996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 8 tracks · 1:01:57
1Rounds for String Orchestra: I. Allegro molto vivace4:262Rounds for String Orchestra: II. Adagio3:543Rounds for String Orchestra: III. Allegro vigoroso5:594Adagio (Third Movement from Symphony no. 11)14:335Concert Piece for Orchestra12:346Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel7:117Concert Piece for Flute and Harp: I. Allegro vivo5:458Concert Piece for Flute and Harp: II. Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro brioso7:351996 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:00:27
1Quintet in B minor for Flute, String Trio and Piano: I. Allegro deciso e molto ritmico3:512Quintet in B minor for Flute, String Trio and Piano: II. Romanza: Lento, molto cantabile5:253Quintet in B minor for Flute, String Trio and Piano: III. Finale: Allegro veloce3:264Concert Piece for Horn and String Trio8:485Partita for Oboe Bassoon and Piano: I. Allegro vivo2:316Partita for Oboe Bassoon and Piano: II. Adagio espressivo3:207Partita for Oboe Bassoon and Piano: III. Allegro molto2:268Chaconne for Violin and Piano13:119Woodwind Quintet: I. Andante grazioso4:3310Woodwind Quintet: II. Theme and Variations with Scherzino Interlude: Adagio8:0511Woodwind Quintet: III. Allegro fugato4:511999 · studio album
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Tracklist · 13 tracks · 1:17:31
1Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano: Poco allegro; maestoso10:132Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano: Adagio meditativo8:333Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano: Scherzo. Allegro aperto2:214Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano: Adagio serio. Allegro animato6:385Canticle for Violin and Piano: Adagio non troppo5:566Perpetual Motion for Violin and Piano: Maestoso. Molto vivace5:197Sonata no. 2 for Cello and Piano: Allegro moderato8:008Sonata no. 2 for Cello and Piano: Adagio cantabile5:299Sonata no. 2 for Cello and Piano: Deciso3:0110Sonata no. 1 for Violin and Piano: Allegro moderato7:4711Sonata no. 1 for Violin and Piano: Allegro con moto3:3412Sonata no. 1 for Violin and Piano: Adagio sospirando5:1413Sonata no. 1 for Violin and Piano: Allegro con energia5:26String Quartets, Volume Two: String Quartets 2, 9 & 10
2002 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 53:56
1String Quartet no. 2: I. Allegro flessibile6:092String Quartet no. 2: II. Adagio mesto7:533String Quartet no. 2: III. Allegro mesto5:544String Quartet no. 916:205String Quartet no. 10: I. Allegro assai5:536String Quartet no. 10: II. Lento6:027String Quartet no. 10: III. Adagio - Doppia fuga5:45String Quartets, Volume One: String Quartets 3 & 8 / Concerto for String Quartet
2002 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:00:34
1Concerto for String Quartet: I. Sinfonia. Allegro con energia2:542Concerto for String Quartet: II. Capriccio. Molto vivo3:333Concerto for String Quartet: III. Aria. Adagio6:564Concerto for String Quartet: IV. Scherzo finale. Allegro giocoso3:155String Quartet no. 3: I. Moderato, con semplicità3:246String Quartet no. 3: II. Allegro vivo4:367String Quartet no. 3: III. Allegretto6:188String Quartet no. 3: IV. Adagio11:429String Quartet no. 8: I. Adagio - Andante - Allegro con spirito, quasi presto7:0110String Quartet no. 8: II. Largo5:2411String Quartet no. 8: III. Presto con bravura - Fuga (lo stesso tempo)5:31String Quartets, Volume Three: String Quartets 1, 5 & 6
2003 · studio album
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Tracklist · 6 tracks · 1:06:01
1String Quartet no. 116:242String Quartet no. 5: I. Allegro agitato7:173String Quartet no. 5: II. Adagio non troppo8:034String Quartet no. 5: III. Allegro con impeto e ben ritmato11:295String Quartet no. 6: I. Gravement - Allegro moderato11:476String Quartet no. 6: II. Adagio - Theme & Variations11:01String Quartets, Volume Four: String Quartets 4 & 7 / Night Music for Accordion & String Quartet
2004 · studio album
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Tracklist · 7 tracks · 1:11:39
1String Quartet no. 4: I. Allegro deciso8:002String Quartet no. 4: II. Fuga - Adagio "Vires acquirit eundo"9:393String Quartet no. 4: III. Scherzo - Allegro molto5:314String Quartet no. 4: IV. Theme and Ten Variations15:345String Quartet no. 7: I. Introduzione - Allegro agitato - Theme and 13 Variations - Perorazione12:276String Quartet no. 7: II. Adagio - Fuga seconda - Allegro energico10:557Night Music for Accordion and String Quartet9:33Symphony no. 6 / Rounds for String Orchestra / Romeo and Juliet
2018 · studio album
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Tracklist · 11 tracks · 1:05:20
1Rounds for String Orchestra: I. Allegro, molto vivace4:532Rounds for String Orchestra: II. Adagio4:043Rounds for String Orchestra: III. Allegro vigoroso6:344Music for Romeo & Juliet: I. Overture3:245Music for Romeo & Juliet: II. Balcony Scene4:566Music for Romeo & Juliet: III. Romeo and Friar Laurence3:407Music for Romeo & Juliet: IV. Juliet and Her Nurse2:298Music for Romeo & Juliet: V. The Death of Romeo and Juliet8:079Symphony no. 6: I. Introduzione. Adagio - Allegro, fortemente mosso10:1610Symphony no. 6: II. Adagio8:5411Symphony no. 6: III. Deciso, poco allegro8:03
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put David Diamond head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 20 | 81.1th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 13 | 84th |
| Studio albums | 13 | 93.5th |
| Awards recorded | 6 | 97.7th |
| Timeline events | 22 | 94.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 15 | 35.8th |
| Genres | 10 | 96.5th |
Awards & honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Guggenheim Fellowship | won | |
| 1942 | Rome Prize | won | |
| 1943 | Paderewski Prize for American Composers | won | |
| 1944 | Arts and Letters Award in Music | won | |
| 1991 | Edward MacDowell Medal | won | |
| 1995 | National Medal of Arts | won |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Diamond_1987.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4e9546f3-7820-48b9-bd89-a2ca53c63442discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4e9546f3-7820-48b9-bd89-a2ca53c63442core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q919140genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q919140seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Diamond_%28composer%29biography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Diamond_%28composer%29
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q919140 · MusicBrainz: 4e9546f3-7820-48b9-bd89-a2ca53c63442
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