John Cage

American avant-garde composer (1912-1992)

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About

John Cage, born September 5, 1912, in Los Angeles and died August 12, 1992, in New York, is a major figure of 20th-century experimental music. He studied with Arnold Schoenberg and Henry Cowell, among others. A pioneer of the prepared piano, he is best known for his piece 4′33″ (1952), in which the performer makes no intentional sounds. He collaborated closely with choreographer Merce Cunningham and taught at several prestigious institutions. His writings, such as Silence, have influenced many artists.

* 1912-09-05 — † 1992-08-12

Major works

Sonatas and Interludes (1946-48)prepared piano work
Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (1951)work for 12 radios
4′33″ (1952)musical piece
Fontana Mix (1958)electronic work
Roaratorio (1979)radio work

Key milestones

1949Receives a Guggenheim Fellowship.
1982Appointed Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.
1989Receives the Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy.

Themes

Silence and chanceSound experimentationInterdisciplinary collaborationEastern philosophyNature and mycology

Sources: loc.gov · findingaids.library.northwestern.edu

“I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.”

— John CageTheme · Creativity

Create visual

“If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all.”

— John CageTheme · Personal Development

Create visual

“The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason.”

— John CageTheme · Philosophy

Create visual