Morton Subotnick was a pioneering American electronic composer best known for his album Silver Apples of the Moon. He helped shape modern music education as a founding faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts.
Early Days
Subotnick earned his musical training at the University of Denver before teaching at San Francisco’s Mills College. There he co‑founded the San Francisco Tape Music Center, a hub for experimental tape work.
Fun Facts
The composer studied under modernist luminary Darius Milhaud and later moved to New York City, where he received an artist residency at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In the 1980s he wrote the electronic chamber opera Jacob’s Room.
Family Life
He shared a creative partnership with his wife, vocalist and composer Joan La Barbara, and together they raised three children—Steven, Tamara, and Jacob.
Collaborations With
Subotnick’s work intersected with the San Francisco Tape Music Center community, the California Institute of the Arts faculty, and his spouse Joan La Barbara on numerous performance projects.