January 23, 1953:
John Luther Adams is born in Meridian, Mississippi.
September 30, 1973:
Prelude for organ by John Luther Adams (20) is performed for the first time, at Stanford University.
March 26, 1977:
Green Corn Dance for six percussionists by John Luther Adams (24) is performed for the first time, at Memphis State University, Tennessee. The work is dedicated to James Tenney (42).
October 4, 1981:
A Northern Suite for orchestra by John Luther Adams (28) is performed for the first time, in Galena, Alaska.
November 11, 1984:
Forest Without Leaves for five vocal soloists, chorus, and chamber orchestra by John Luther Adams (31), to words of Haines, is performed for the first time, in Fairbanks, Alaska.
October 1, 1988:
The Far Country of Sleep (in memoriam Morton Feldman) for chamber ensemble by John Luther Adams (35) is performed for the first time, in Haines, Alaska.
April 21, 1991:
magic song for one who wishes to live and the dead who climb up to the sky for voice and piano by John Luther Adams (38) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.
May 25, 1992:
Dream in White on White for strings, string quartet, and harp by John Luther Adams (39) is performed for the first time, at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia.
February 27, 1993:
Earth and the Great Weather for four strings, four vocalists, four speakers, four percussionists, and electronics by John Luther Adams (40) is performed for the first time, at the University of Fairbanks, Alaska.
September 21, 1995:
Five Athabascan Dances for harp and percussion by John Luther Adams (42) are performed for the first time, in Tokyo.
October 27, 1995:
Five Yup’ik Dances for piano by John Luther Adams (42) is performed for the first time, at the Terrace Theatre, Kennedy Center, Washington.
February 17, 1996:
The Time of Drumming for orchestra by John Luther Adams (43) is performed for the first time, in Anchorage, Alaska. See 8 November 1997.
February 26, 1996:
Clouds of Forgetting, Clouds of Unknowing for chamber ensemble by John Luther Adams (43) is performed for the first time, in Norfolk, Virginia.
November 8, 1997:
The Time of Drumming for two pianos, timpani, and four percussionists by John Luther Adams (44) is performed for the first time, at Rice University, Houston. See 17 February 1996.
April 18, 1998:
Two works by John Luther Adams (45) are performed for the first time, at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks: The Immeasurable Space of Tones for violin, contrabass instrument, piano, electronic keyboard, and vibraphone, and Qilyaun for four bass drums and electronics.
November 11, 1998:
In the White Silence for string quartet, strings, celesta, harp, and two vibraphones by John Luther Adams (45) is performed for the first time, in Finney Chapel of Oberlin College, Ohio.
November 25, 1998:
Strange and Sacred Noise for four percussionists by John Luther Adams (45) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.
November 5, 1999:
In a Treeless Place, Only Snow for string quartet, harp, celesta, and two vibraphones by John Luther Adams (46) is performed for the first time, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio.
November 20, 1999:
The Light That Fills the World for violin, contrabass instrument, electronic keyboard, vibraphone, and marimba by John Luther Adams (46) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.
November 9, 2000:
Make Prayers to the Raven for violin, cello, flute, harp, and percussion by John Luther Adams (47) is performed for the first time, in Bergen, Norway.
December 5, 2000:
Time Undisturbed for cello, piccolo, flute, alto flute, keyboard, and three harps by John Luther Adams (47) is performed for the first time, in Kanagawa, Japan.
November 16, 2001:
After the Light for alto flute, vibraphone, and harp by John Luther Adams (48) is performed for the first time, in Ketchikan, Alaska.
December 7, 2001:
Among Red Mountains for piano by John Luther Adams (48) is performed for the first time, at Oberlin College, Ohio.
November 11, 2002:
Dark Wind for bass clarinet, piano, vibraphone, and marimba by John Luther Adams (49) is performed for the first time, at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
April 28, 2003:
The Mathematics of Resonant Bodies for solo percussionist and electronics by John Luther Adams (50) is performed for the first time, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
September 27, 2005:
for Lou Harrison for string quartet, strings, and two pianos by John Luther Adams (52) is performed for the first time, at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.
October 23, 2005:
Poem of the Forgotten, for voice and piano by John Luther Adams (52) to words of Haines, is performed for the first time, in Seattle.
March 21, 2006:
The Place Where You Go To Listen, a sound and light environment by John Luther Adams (53) opens at the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks.
April 6, 2006:
…and bells remembered for percussion by John Luther Adams (53) is performed for the first time, at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls.
May 6, 2006:
Veils and Vesper, a sound and light exhibition by John Luther Adams (53) opens at the Diapason Gallery, New York. It will continue through 27 May.
February 17, 2007:
Dark Waves for two pianos and electronics by John Luther Adams (54) is performed for the first time, in Anchorage, Alaska.
April 11, 2007:
Three High Places for violin by John Luther Adams (54) is performed for the first time, in New York.
October 30, 2007:
for Jim (rising) (in memory of James Tenney (†1) for three trumpets and three trombones by John Luther Adams (54) is performed for the first time, in Rotterdam.
January 28, 2008:
The Light Within for violin, cello, alto flute, bass clarinet, piano, vibraphone, crotales, and electronics by John Luther Adams (55) is performed for the first time, in Seattle. See 16 October 2010.
March 29, 2008:
Nunataks for piano by John Luther Adams (55) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.
July 3, 2008:
Three works for chorus are performed for the first time, in Riga: The Eternal Sun by John Tavener (64) to words of Schon, and Sky With Four Suns and Sky With Four Moons by John Luther Adams (55).
February 15, 2009:
Little Cosmic Dust Poem for voice and piano by John Luther Adams (56), to words of Haines, is performed for the first time, at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania.
June 21, 2009:
Inuksuit for 9-99 percussionists by John Luther Adams (56) is performed for the first time, in Banff, Alberta.
July 18, 2009:
Always Very Soft for three percussionists by John Luther Adams (56) is performed for the first time, in Jakarta.
October 15, 2010:
The Light Within for chamber orchestra by John Luther Adams (57) is performed for the first time, in New York.
June 19, 2011:
Strange and Sacred Noise, a film with music by John Luther Adams (58), is shown for the first time, in Miller Theatre, New York.
June 23, 2011:
Four Thousand Holes for piano, percussion, and electronics by John Luther Adams (58) is performed for the first time, at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.
October 26, 2011:
The Wind in High Places for string quartet by John Luther Adams (58) is performed for the first time, at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Cerritos, California.
November 29, 2012:
Ilimaq for percussion and electronics by John Luther Adams (59) is performed for the first time, in McCullough Theatre, Austin, Texas.
May 25, 2013:
Canticles of the Holy Wind for vocal soloists and four choruses by John Luther Adams (60) is performed for the first time, in Riga
June 20, 2013:
Become Ocean for orchestra by John Luther Adams (60) is performed for the first time, in Seattle. The work will win the 2014 Pulitzer Prize. See 24 April 2014.
April 24, 2014:
John Luther Adams (61) wins the Pulitzer Prize for music for his Become Ocean. See 20 June 2013.
July 24, 2014:
Sila: The Breath of the World for large ensemble and voices by John Luther Adams (61) is performed for the first time, in New York
July 5, 2015:
Across the Distance for massed horns by John Luther Adams (62) is performed for the first time, at the Cambo Estate in Fife, Scotland.
December 8, 2015:
Canticles of the Sky for string quartet by John Luther Adams (62) is performed for the first time, in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles.
September 15, 2017:
there is no one, not even the wind for flute, two percussionists, violin, viola, cello, and double bass by John Luther Adams (64) is performed for the first time, in the 415 Westlake, Seattle.
March 29, 2018:
Become Desert for chorus and orchestra by John Luther Adams (65) is performed for the first time, in Benaroya Hall, Seattle.
August 11, 2018:
In the Name of the Earth for chorus by John Luther Adams (65) is performed for the first time, in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York.