July 5, 1918:
Aaron George Rochberg is born in Paterson, New Jersey, USA, the son of Morris Rochberg and Anna Hoffman, immigrants from the Ukraine.
August 18, 1941:
George Rochberg (23) marries Gene Rosenfeld in Minneapolis.
October 27, 1942:
George Rochberg (24) is enlisted into the United States Army in Newark, New Jersey.
September 23, 1944:
World War II: American troops occupy Ulithi Atoll near Yap (Micronesia).
Soviet forces reach the Baltic at Pärnu, Estonia.
Finnish forces attack Germans refusing to withdraw from northern Finland in accordance with the Finland-USSR armistice.
George Rochberg (26), serving with American military forces, is wounded in Mons, Belgium.
January 10, 1953:
String Quartet no.1 by George Rochberg (34) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, New York. The composer also premieres his Twelve Bagatelles for piano. He arrives just before his part of the program, having traveled from Passaic, New Jersey in a blinding snowstorm.
April 23, 1953:
Night Music, the second movement of George Rochberg’s (34) Symphony no.2, is performed for the first time, in New York.
February 14, 1958:
Waltz Serenade for orchestra by George Rochberg (39) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.
March 3, 1958:
George Rochberg’s (39) piano work Sonata-Fantasia is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School, New York.
March 28, 1958:
Symphony no.1 by George Rochberg (39) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
April 29, 1958:
Dialogues for clarinet and piano by George Rochberg (39) is performed for the first time, in Carl Fischer Concert Hall, New York.
May 4, 1958:
Serenata d’estate for harp, flute, guitar, violin, viola, and cello by George Rochberg (39) is performed for the first time, in the 92nd Street Y, New York.
May 18, 1958:
Cheltenham Concerto for small orchestra by George Rochberg (39) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
February 26, 1959:
George Rochberg’s (40) Symphony no.2 is performed for the first time, in Severance Hall, Cleveland.
January 21, 1960:
La Bocca della Veritá for oboe and piano by George Rochberg (41) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
August 7, 1960:
Robert Ashley (30), Gordon Mumma (25), Roger Reynolds (26), and George Cacioppo, having driven from Ann Arbor, Michigan, attend a week-long composers’ conference organized by the Canadian League of Composers in Stratford, Ontario. Among the luminaries present are Luciano Berio (34), Edgar Varèse (76), Roy Harris (62), Ernst Krenek (59), and George Rochberg (42). The four decide that they could organize a better conference and by the time they arrive home, they have planned the ONCE Festival.
October 22, 1960:
George Rochberg’s (42) Time-Span for orchestra is performed for the first time, in St. Louis.
October 6, 1961:
Blake Songs for soprano and chamber ensemble by George Rochberg (43) is performed for the first time, at the New School, New York.
March 23, 1962:
String Quartet no.2 by George Rochberg (43) is performed for the first time, privately in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. See 30 March 1962.
March 30, 1962:
String Quartet no.2 by George Rochberg (43) is performed publicly for the first time, in Harrison Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. See 23 March 1962.
January 19, 1964:
Time Span II for orchestra by George Rochberg (45) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.
November 22, 1964:
Paul Rochberg, the 20-year-old son of George Rochberg (46) dies of cancer in Philadelphia. “We were shaken to the core, traumatized, bewildered by the enormity of his loss.” (Rochberg, 147)
May 8, 1965:
Two new works are performed for the first time, in Cincinnati: George Crumb’s (35) Variazioni for percussion, harp, celesta, mandolin, and strings; and George Rochberg’s (46) Zodiac, an orchestration of his Twelve Bagatelles for piano.
May 19, 1965:
Apocalyptica (I) for large wind ensemble by George Rochberg (46) is performed for the first time, in Memorial Auditorium of Montclair State College, New Jersey.
August 18, 1965:
Contra mortem et tempus for flute, clarinet, violin, and piano by George Rochberg (47) is performed for the first time, at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine. The work is inspired by the death of the composer’s son last November.
September 24, 1965:
Black Sounds (Apocalyptica II) for 17 winds by George Rochberg (47) is performed for the first time, in a broadcast originating in New York. The work is performed to a dance called The Act.
December 8, 1966:
David, the Psalmist for tenor and orchestra by George Rochberg (48) is performed for the first time, at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
January 24, 1967:
New works are performed for the first time, at the University of Chicago to mark the school’s 75th anniversary: Music for the Magic Theatre for 15 instrumentalists by George Rochberg (48), Inflexions for 14 players by Mario Davidovsky (32), and Un voyage de Cythère for soprano and ten instruments by Easley Blackwood (33).
January 27, 1967:
Nach Bach, Fantasy for harpsichord or piano by George Rochberg (48) is performed for the first time, in Annenberg Auditorium of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
March 17, 1968:
Fanfares for massed trumpets, horns, and trombones by George Rochberg (49) is performed for the first time, at Settlement Music School, Philadelphia.
October 13, 1968:
Incidental music to Jonson’s play The Alchemist by George Rochberg (50) is performed for the first time, at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York. See 31 October 1969.
October 31, 1969:
Tableaux for soprano, two actors, male chorus, and twelve players by George Rochberg (51) to words by Paul Rochberg, is performed for the first time, at the University of Washington, Seattle. Also premiered is the concert version of Rochberg’s music for The Alchemist. See 13 October 1968.
March 20, 1970:
Eleven Songs for voice and piano by George Rochberg (51) to words of Paul Rochberg, is performed for the first time, in Oberlin, Ohio.
April 2, 1970:
Fifty Caprice Variations for solo violin by George Rochberg (51) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of station WBAI, New York.
November 24, 1970:
Symphony no.3 for solo voices, chamber chorus, double chorus, and orchestra by George Rochberg (52) is performed for the first time, in the Juilliard Theatre, New York.
January 5, 1971:
Sacred Song of Reconciliation for bass-baritone and orchestra by George Rochberg (52) to words of Mizmur l’Piyus, is performed for the first time, in Jerusalem.
March 16, 1971:
Songs in Praise of Krishna for soprano and piano by George Rochberg (52) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana the composer at the keyboard.
May 4, 1972:
Carnival Music, a suite for piano by George Rochberg (53), is performed for the first time, in the Academy of Music, Philadelphia.
May 15, 1972:
String Quartet no.3 by George Rochberg (53) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
December 19, 1972:
Electrikaleidoscope for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and electric piano by George Rochberg (54) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York. The third movement is dedicated to the Israeli Olympic athletes murdered by Arab terrorists last September.
October 23, 1973:
Behold My Servant for chorus by George Rochberg (55) is performed for the first time, at the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York.
May 8, 1974:
Imago mundi for orchestra by George Rochberg (55) is performed for the first time, in the Lyric Theatre, Baltimore.
April 4, 1975:
Violin Concerto by George Rochberg (56) is performed for the first time, in Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh.
April 28, 1975:
Ukiyo-e for solo harp by George Rochberg (56) is performed for the first time, at Grape Stake Art Gallery, San Fransisco.
January 9, 1976:
Phaedra, a melodrama for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by George Rochberg (57) to words of Gene Rochberg after Lowell, is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Auditorium, Syracuse, New York.
February 21, 1976:
Quintet for piano and strings by George Rochberg (57) is performed for the first time, at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
March 15, 1976:
Two chamber works are performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York: String Quartet no.3 by Lukas Foss (53) and String Quartet no.3 by Ben Johnston on the composer’s 50th birthday.
November 15, 1976:
Symphony no.4 by George Rochberg (58) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.
December 4, 1976:
Partita-Variations for piano by George Rochberg (58) is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.
January 20, 1979:
The String Quartets 4, 5, and 6 by George Rochberg (60) are performed for the first time, at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
April 23, 1979:
Slow Fires of Autumn: Ukiyo-E II for flute and harp by George Rochberg (60) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
July 14, 1979:
Sonata for viola and piano by George Rochberg (61) is performed for the first time, in Provo, Utah.
January 27, 1980:
String Quartet no.7 with baritone by George Rochberg (61) is performed for the first time, at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
April 25, 1980:
Octet, A Grand Fantasia for flute, clarinet, horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and piano by George Rochberg (61) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall.
January 6, 1982:
String Quintet by George Rochberg (63) is performed for the first time, at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia.
July 31, 1982:
The Confidence Man, an opera by George Rochberg (64) to words of Gene Rochberg after Melville, is performed for the first time, in Santa Fe.
August 19, 1983:
Between Two Worlds: Five Images for Flute and Piano by George Rochberg (65) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
June 6, 1984:
Four Short Sonatas for piano by George Rochberg (65) are performed for the first time, in Rome.
December 13, 1984:
George Rochberg’s (66) Oboe Concerto is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
June 18, 1985:
Quartet for piano, violin, viola, and cello by George Rochberg (66) is performed for the first time, in Washington.
February 27, 1986:
Piano Trio no.2 by George Rochberg (67) is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.
March 13, 1986:
Symphony no.5 by George Rochberg (67) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago for the 150th anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
October 3, 1986:
To the Dark Wood for woodwind quintet by George Rochberg (68) is performed for the first time, in Armidale, New South Wales.
October 16, 1987:
Symphony no.6 by George Rochberg (69) is performed for the first time, in Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh.
April 10, 1989:
Sonata for violin and piano by George Rochberg (70) is performed for the first time, in Ambassador Auditorium, Los Angeles.
October 27, 1989:
Suite no.1 from The Confidence Man for orchestra by George Rochberg (71) is performed for the first time, in Nashville.
September 15, 1990:
George Rochberg’s (72) Rhapsody and Prayer for violin and piano is performed for the first time, in Indianapolis.
January 25, 1991:
Ora pro nobis for flute and guitar by George Rochberg (72) is performed for the first time, in Zanesville, Ohio.
February 1, 1991:
Muse of Fire for flute and guitar by George Rochberg (72) is performed for the first time, in Weill Hall, New York.
December 16, 1991:
Summer 1990: Piano Trio no.3 by George Rochberg (73) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
January 25, 1993:
Sonata-Aria for cello and piano by George Rochberg (74) is performed for the first time, at Rice University, Houston, Texas.
February 22, 1996:
Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by George Rochberg (77) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
February 13, 1997:
American Bouquet for guitar by George Rochberg (78) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.
March 3, 1998:
Circles of Fire for two pianos by George Rochberg (79) is performed for the first time, at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
July 2, 1998:
Eden: Out of Time and Out of Space for guitar and chamber ensemble by George Rochberg (79) is performed for the first time, in Portland, Oregon.
May 29, 2005:
Aaron George Rochberg dies in Bryn Mawr Hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, USA, of complications from recent surgery, aged 86 years, ten months, and 24 days. His earthly remains will be laid to rest in Valley Forge Memorial Gardens, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
December 28, 2005:
A concert in memory of George Rochberg (†0) takes place in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.