(Amadeus). President of The Juilliard School and then of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts during the years 1945-1968, Schuman (1910-1992) was an "artistic catalyst" who was instrumental in shaping how America perceived and supported music, dance and drama in the second half of the twentieth century. His influence as an arts administrator, educator and composer caused him to be considered at one time as "probably the most powerful figure in the world of art music." Complex, driven, and filled with a confident optimism that characterized America at the time, Schuman thought of himself as "a part of many different worlds." Those worlds included his life as a composer of more than one hundred works in orchestral, choral, chamber, and operatic settings. His music has been characterized as "full of American directness in its vibrant rhythms and brilliant orchestrations." This first-ever complete biography of Schuman brings the many threads of his life together within the context of the personalities and events that shaped how we experience the arts in America in the twenty-first century.

A comprehensive history of the creation and growth of Lincoln Center, exploring the interconnections between politicians, financiers, and performing artists "Masterful. . . . A powerful work of nonfiction with the drama of a novel."-Jaap van Zweden, Wall Street Journal In this comprehensive history of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, longtime Juilliard president Joseph Polisi guides us through the complex convergence of the worlds of politics, finance, and the performing arts throughout the years of the Center's history, including the roles played by Robert Moses, John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Leonard Bernstein, William Schuman, Elia Kazan, Joseph Papp, Alice Tully, Beverly Sills, and many others. Polisi explores the social and political environment during the Center's history, reflecting the growth and evolution of the performing arts in America from its post-World War II roots to the present day of global interaction. The history of the birth and growth of this unique institution is a story of determination, economic acumen, political machinations, artistic innovations, and above all the strong belief that the arts are at the center of the fabric of American society and that they should be supported and embraced by all citizens.