The Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ned Rorem is no longer with us! The author of more than a dozen published diaries and music composer passed away at the age of 99 at his home in Manhattan.
As per a report by Washington Post, The Paris Diary of Ned Rorem author died on November 18, 2022, Friday. Continue reading further to know the cause behind the death of the music composer Ned Rorem.
What was the cause behind the death of Ned Rorem?
Ned Rorem, best known for being the composer of amazing music as well as for publishing diaries about his life and loves has left for the heavenly abode. It has been reported by the media outlet that he passed away on Friday at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
The sad news of Ned Rorem’s death was confirmed by his niece Mary Marshall. Ned’s niece Mary did not disclose the reason behind the death of the American composer and famous diarist.
Here’s all you need to know about Ned Rorem’s early life
For those of you who are unversed, let us share with you, Ned Rorem was most noted for composing beguiling music and publishing revealing diaries about the story of his life. He was born on October 23, 1923, in Richmond, Indiana, United States.
Rorem was the second child of Clarence Rufus Rorem and his wife, the former Gladys W. Miller. His mom and dad met each other and they tied the knot in South Dakota in the year 1920. He had an older sister whose name was Rosemary.
Back in the day, Ned and his family shifted to Chicago where Rufus worked for the American Hospital Association. Right from his childhood days, Ned was interested in music. To acquire his early education, he went to the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and the American Conservatory of Music.
Soon after, Rorem attended Northwestern University before attending the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia and the Juilliard School in New York City. He was brought up as Quaker. Let us tell you, Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends.
When did Ned Rorem publish his first diary?
Ned published his first diary titled The Paris Diary of Ned Rorem in the year 1966. Soon after he went on to publish, Later Diaries 1951–1972 (1974) and The Nantucket Diary of Ned Rorem, 1973–1985 (1987).
In his diaries, Rorem openly talked about his and other men’s sexuality. In them, he spilled the beans on his relationship with Leonard Bernstein, Noël Coward, Samuel Barber, Virgil Thomson, and many others. In one of his diaries, he also revealed that he had a short affair with writer John Cheever.
Apart from this, when we talk about Rorem’s career as a music composer, he shot to fame in his 20s. By the time, he turned 40, he had written more than 400 songs. Not only that, but he had also penned three symphonies and several one-act operas. In 1976, he won a Pulitzer Prize for Music for his Air Music: Ten Etudes for Orchestra.
We send our deepest condolences to the friends and family members of Ned Rorem during this difficult time. May the departed soul rest in peace. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world of showbiz.
