Cowell, Henry (Dixon)

(born March 11, 1897, Menlo Park, Calif., U.S.—died Dec. 10, 1965, Shady, N.Y.) U.S. avant-garde composer. He began early to experiment with techniques such as tone clusters and direct manipulation of piano strings. Five tours of Europe as composer-pianist (1923–33) expanded his reputation. He coinvented the Rhythmicon, an instrument for producing several conflicting rhythms simultaneously. Immensely prolific, he wrote nearly 1,000 pieces, including 19 completed symphonies, hundreds of piano works, and many ballets. In 1927 he founded the journal . His book (1930) presented his compositional ideas. He was one of the most important innovators in the history of American music.

Find more information on Cowell, Henry (Dixon). Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on Cowell, Henry (Dixon).