Composer Kevin Puts, who earned a master of music degree in 1996 from the Yale School of Music, has won a Pulitzer Prize for his opera Silent Night, which was “commissioned and premiered by the Minnesota Opera in Minneapolis on November 12, 2011,” according to a press release issued on Monday by Columbia University, which administers the prestigious awards.
The Columbia University press release describes Silent Night, whose libretto was written by Mark Campbell, as “a stirring opera that recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-fire among Scottish, French and Germans during World War I, displaying versatility of style and cutting straight to the heart.”
Puts’ website indicates that Silent Night was “based on the 2005 film Joyeux Noël.”
In its review of the work’s premier, the Minnesota Star Tribune opined that Silent Night “is a significant addition to the repertoire and heralds the emergence of composer Kevin Puts as a force in American opera.”
Puts will receive his Pulitzer Prize and $10,000 award at a May 21 ceremony at Columbia University.
Read the Yale School of Music’s news release here. Learn more about Silent Night and the composer at KevinPuts.com.