In the first full-length biography of one of Canada’s most gifted and influential composers, Pamela Jones draws from extensive interviews with composers, performers, students, friends, and family members. She offers an analysis of lanza’s key compositions and discusses his musical development in a vivid portrayal of the social, cultural, and political milieus in which he worked — from the difficulties of composing under a repressive government in 1950s Argentina to the “anything goes” atmosphere of New York City in the 1960s, the post-war cultural revival in Berlin, and the multicultural diversity of Montréal. This book is a rich and compelling account of the composer’s passion and an important and insightful commentary on contemporary music in the second half of the twentieth century.

Pamela Jones teaches at the National Theatre School of Canada, Ballet Divertimento, and Bishop’s University.