George Crumb was born 24 October 1929 in Charleston, West Virginia. He received his D.M.A. at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he studied composition with Ross Lee Finney. Crumb has received numerous awards, honors and commissions, including the Pulitzer Prize 1968 and the International Rostrum of Composers (UNESCO) Award 1971. In 1995 Crumb became the 36th recipient of the MacDowell medal, awarded annually to a composer, writer or visual artist who, in the judgment of his/her peers, has made an outstanding contribution to the nation's culture. He is a member of the American National Institute of Arts & Letters. Presently he is composer in residence at the University of Pennsylvania.

Crumb is internationally recognized as a composer and has traveled abroad extensively for the State Department and other organizations to Asia, Australia and Europe. His music has been widely performed and recorded both in the US and around the world, and his orchestral works have been performed by all the major American orchestras.

Audience enthusiasm, critical acclaim and colleagues' praise have been extensive for Crumb's works. Among those qualities that are most frequently cited are the following: an extraordinarily sensitive ear resulting in highly refined timbral nuances; a very powerful evocative sense and a sureness and concision in realizing his musical intentions. All of these interact structurally to form a body of music that is moving and convincing.

Crumb's works are published by the C. F. Peters Corporation.