(Photo credit: Carlo Carnevali)

Barbara Kolb, a pioneering composer and the first American woman to win the Rome Prize passed away at the age of 85.

Kolb was born on Feb. 10, 1939, in Connecticut. Growing up in a musical family, Kolb went on to receive a Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Music degree at the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford.

Throughout her career, Kolb created a distinctive contemporary form of Impressionism. She continually pushed the boundaries of classical music, creating evocative music that drew inspiration from literature and visual arts. Her music found a home with some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Her works were conducted by Pierre Boulez, Seiji Ozawa, Robert Shaw, and Leonard Slatkin. Her vocal works include “The Point that Divides the Wind,” “Songs Before an Adieu,” and “Virgo Mater Creatrix.”

Kolb held the post of visiting professor of composition at the Eastman School of Music, from 1984-85. She taught theory and composition at Brooklyn College, CUNY, and Temple University. As an arts advocate, she served as the artistic director of “Music New to New York” from 1979 to 1982. She also founded and directed “Vibe of the Venue,” a new music series that highlighted the work of local composers and international artists. Between 1982 and 1986, she developed a music theory course, sponsored by the Library of Congress, for the blind and physically disabled.

Her numerous accolades included three Tanglewood Fellowships, four MacDowell Colony Fellowships, two Guggenheim Fellowships, and a Fulbright Scholarship that took her to Vienna. She received commissions from the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University. In 1969-71, Kolb received the Rome Prize in music composition, making her the first American woman to do so.

Kolb passed away on Oct. 21, at her home in North Providence, Rhode Island.