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Caroline Shaw

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description Caroline Shaw Overview

Caroline Shaw is an American composer, singer, and violinist awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for her a cappella composition Partita for 8 Voices. She is the youngest recipient of the prize at age 30. Shaw is a member of the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth and has composed works for orchestras, chamber ensembles, and film. Her music draws on baroque techniques, folk traditions, and contemporary textures.

help Caroline Shaw FAQ

Which Caroline Shaw composition won the Pulitzer Prize?

Partita for 8 Voices won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Shaw wrote it for Roomful of Teeth, the vocal ensemble in which she also performs.

What makes Partita for 8 Voices sound so unusual?

The work combines singing with speech, whispers, sighs, murmurs, and other extended vocal techniques. Its four movements take their titles from Baroque dances: Allemande, Sarabande, Courante, and Passacaglia.

How old was Caroline Shaw when she won the Pulitzer?

Shaw was 30 when Partita for 8 Voices received the prize in 2013. She was the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music at that time.

Has Caroline Shaw worked outside contemporary classical music?

Yes, she has collaborated with artists including Kanye West and contributed vocals, arrangements, and remixes beyond the concert hall. Her recorded work also includes Orange with the Attacca Quartet and Narrow Sea with Sō Percussion and Dawn Upshaw.