Career
Wernick began his musical studies playing the piano at age 11. His high school music theory teacher took notice of his abilities, and introduced him to Irving Fine, who was a composition professor at Harvard University at the time. Wernick went on to complete his undergraduate studies with Fine at Brandeis University. While at Brandeis, Wernick also studied with Harold Shapero, Arthur Berger, and Leonard Bernstein. His studies at Tanglewood included composition work with Ernst Toch, Aaron Copland, and Boris Blacher and conducting studies with Leonard Bernstein and Seymour Lipkin. Wernick also studied at Mills College with Leon Kirchner.
During the 1950s and early 1960s, Wernick worked as a theater, film, television, and dance composer. His output during this time includes the film score for the short comedy A Bowl of Cherries.
Wernick spent much of his career as a composition professor, teaching at SUNY Buffalo (1964-1965) and the University of Chicago (1965-1968). However, his longest tenure was at the University of Pennsylvania, from 1968 to 1996. His notable students include Melinda Wagner, Yinam Leef, Philip Maneval, James Primosch, and Stephen Jaffe. David Patrick Stearns of The Philadelphia Inquirer considered Wernick's time at University of Pennsylvania, especially during the 1970s, to represent the height of his compositional influence as part of the University's composition "triumvirate" (Wernick, George Crumb, and George Rochberg).
In 1983, Riccardo Muti selected Wernick to be the Consultant for New Music to the Philadelphia Orchestra. His role as advisor was to assist Muti in identifying new works for the Philadelphia Orchestra to perform, with a stated emphasis on American composers. He held this position until 1989, when he was re-appointed as Special Consultant to the Music Director. He continued until the end of Muti's tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1993.
Wernick won the 1977 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his composition Visions of Terror and Wonder. He won Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards in 1986 for his Violin Concerto (first place, tie with Bernard Rands), 1991 (first place, for String Quartet No. 4), and 1992 (second place, for Piano Concerto). He has also received awards from the Ford, Guggenheim and Naumburg foundations. (See also List of Awards below.)
Wernick lives outside of Philadelphia with his wife, bassoonist Bea Wernick.
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