2024 Composed Composer
Tyshawn Sorey
Penn prof Sorey, who as a composer is a respected musical nonconformist, won the 2024 Pulitzer in Music for “Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith),” his brooding, contemplative concerto for alto sax and orchestra. Sorey, a finalist for the award last year, blurs the lines between jazz and classical music, a breath of fresh air for a genre often perceived as buttoned-up — and a campus that’s been awash in controversy.