Vivian Fine

Who was Vivian Fine?

Vivian Fine was an American composer.

Over her 70-year career, Vivian Fine became one of America’s most important composers. She wrote virtually without a break for 68 years, producing over 140 works. Although perhaps best known for her chamber music, she wrote in every genre, including large-scale symphonic and choral works. In addition to numerous articles and several dissertations, two books have been published on Fine’s life and music: The Music of Vivian Fine, by the noted musicologist Heidi Von Gunden, which won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award in 2000, and Vivian Fine, A Bio-Bibliography, by the poet and composer Judith Cody. Her complete musical archives may be found on her website at vivianfine.org.

Vivian Fine was born in Chicago. A piano prodigy, she became at age five the youngest student ever to be awarded a scholarship at the Chicago Musical College. At age eleven she became a student of Scriabin disciple Djane Lavoie-Herz. Fine composed her first piece at thirteen while studying harmony with Ruth Crawford, who considered Fine her protegée.