Though he has traveled across the country and across the world, Dr. Thomas Jefferson Anderson has a special place in his heart for Tufts University. Anderson, a highly-regarded composer, served as chair of the Tufts Department of Music for eight years and as the Austin Fletcher Professor of Music.
Born in Coatesville, Pa. in 1928, Anderson has lived his life based on a strong passion for music and expression. After receiving degrees from West Virginia State University and Penn State University as well as a Ph.D in composition from the University of Iowa, Anderson has gained prominence through his moving operas and orchestrations. He is most famous for his orchestration of "Treemolisha," an opera by Scott Joplin.
Anderson has composed several operas of his own, including "Soldier Boy, Soldier," "Walker" and "Slip Knot." He is known for combining classical American and European influences with African-American influences to create his own unique style.
After retiring from Tufts to become the Austin Fletcher Professor of Music Emeritus, Anderson traveled the world giving lectures and consulting other musicians. He has been given an honorary membership to Phi Beta Kappa, a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and a Rockefeller Center Foundation grant, among other honors. He received a leadership award from the National Black Music Caucus and a Distinguished Achievement Award from the National Association of Negro Musicians.
At Tufts, he won the Lillian and Joseph Leibner Award for Distinguished Teaching and Advising in 1985. University President Lawrence Bacow said in an e-mail to the Daily that Anderson is a "much revered former faculty member, distinguished composer, and the individual responsible for building the modern music department we have at Tufts today."
Anderson now lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., and spends his time writing music. He will receive an honorary doctorate of music at Commencement.
