Jean Eichelberger Ivey

Jean Eichelberger Ivey (3 July 1923, Washington, DC — 2 May 2010, Baltimore, Maryland) was a notable American composer and music educator, founder of Peabody Electronic Music Studio, and the first newsletter editor for the American Society Of University Composers (since its inception in 1968 to the summer of 1970). Eichelberger Ivey gained widespread recognition for her music and pedagogical efforts during her lifetime, subsequently praised for her dedicated battle with the prejudice against women in composing, conducting, and academia. Some of Jean's numerous accolades include a Guggenheim Fellowship (1986), two fellowships from the National Endowment For The Arts, and multiple ASCAP awards. She was published by Boosey & Hawkes, Carl Fischer, Inc., and E. C. Schirmer Music Co. Eichelberger Ivey grew up during the Great Depression era. She attended Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) in Washington, DC, on a full-tuition scholarship, graduating magna cum laude with her Bachelor's degree in 1944. Jean continued studying at Peabody Institute, earning her Master's in Piano in 1946. She completed a second Master's in Composition (1956) at the Eastman School Of Music and later earned her Ph.D. from The University Of Toronto in 1972. Her pedagogical career began in the late 1940s, and Jean Eichelberger Ivey lectured at Trinity College, Peabody Conservatory, and the Catholic University of America. In 1967, Jean Eichelberger Ivey founded the Peabody Electronic Music Studio, the first such facility at American conservatories, by persuading Peabody's administration to purchase tape recorders, oscillators, and other equipment for cutting-edge electronic composing. Jean continued directing the Studio, earning tenure in 1976 and teaching at Peabody Institute until her retirement in 1997.