Maria A. Niederberger

Associate Professor
Department of Music
East Tennessee State University

E-Mail: niederbe@etsu.edu

In 1975, she immigrated to California with her American husband and two children Adrian and J. Sarah. Niederberger later matriculated at the University of California Davis where she majored in music. After her graduation (summa cum laude), she enrolled in the doctoral composition program at Brandeis University in Massachusetts from 1982 to 1985. Among her composition teachers were Richard Swift (student of Leland Smith), Arthur Berger (student of Walter Piston and Nadia Boulanger) and Martin Boykan (student of Piston, Aaron Copland, and Paul Hindemith). As a guest student at Harvard University, she attended the composition class of Donald Martino (student of R. Sessions and L. Dallapiccola) for a year. Niederberger earned her Ph. D. from Brandeis University. From 1985 to 1999, she taught music theory classes at the University of California Davis.

Dr. Niederberger joined the faculty at East Tennessee State University in 1999. She teaches all levels of music theory, composition, counterpoint, and orchestration.

Maria Niederberger's student honors and prizes included the Regents Scholarship (one of the highest academic prizes given at the University of California) , a Remis, two Fine Fellowships, and the "Olga Brose Valente Memorial Prize for Excellence in Musical Composition." Her recent work was honored by Composition Fellowships from Pro Helvetia, the National Endowment for the Arts in Switzerland, a grant from the Schindler Cultural Foundation, a commission from Opus Novum, Lucerne, and a Professional Development Grant from UC Davis. Niederberger also received artist fellowships from the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony and from Villa Montalvo.

Some of Maria Niederberger's compositions blend distinctive melodic strands into a web of balanced contrapuntal organization. Her finely detailed melodic lines are articulated and punctuated by elaborate rhythmic events. Niederberger's compositions demand musical intuition and, at times, even virtuosic ability of the players and appeal therefore to highly skilled performers. Distinguished international artists (Emmy Henz-Diémand, Susan Narucki, Daniel Kennedy, Paul Hillier, Juhani Palola) have requested compositions from Niederberger. Her works have received performances at US National Conferences (SCI, SMT), at the 1995 European Year of Music in Switzerland, at the 1995 Festival of New American Music, and in European countries like Finland (1996), Germany (1995 and 1986), and Switzerland (1996 and 1995). One of her compositions was featured at the 1996 ISCM Festival in Tirana, Albania. She was commissioned to write a work for the millennium celebrations in Lucerne.

Dr. Niederberger was recently elected to the executive board of the International Alliance of Women in Music. She is in charge of concert advocacy and organizing the next Annual Concert at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (contemporary music concert) in Washington, D.C..