Laura Clayton is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 pianist and composer. She was born in Lexington

Lexington

-Places:In the United States:*Lexington, Kentucky, the largest 'Lexington'*Lexington, Massachusetts, the oldest 'Lexington'** Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War*Lexington, Alabama*Lexington, Georgia...

, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, and studied at the Peabody Conservatory and at Columbia University

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, with Mario Davidovsky

Mario Davidovsky

Mario Davidovsky is an Argentine-American composer. Born in Argentina, he emigrated in 1960 to the US, where he lives today...

. She began studying composition with Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...

 at the Aspen

Aspen

Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...

 Music School and graduated with Master of Music in Composition from the New England Conservatory. She lived for a while in Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 and then continued her studies at the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

, graduating with a Doctorate of Musical Arts.

After completing her education, she worked as a composer. In 1980, her work was chosen to represent the United States at the International Rostrum of Composers.

Honors and awards

• Charles Ives Prize
  Charles Ives Prize
  The Charles Ives Prize is a scholarship for young composers, awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Letters: scholarships of $7500, and fellowships of $15,000....
  
   from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, 1980
• Walter B. Hinrichsen Award
• NEA awards
• Jerome Foundation grant
• University of Michigan grant
• Alice M. Ditson Fund grant
• Guggenheim Foundation
  John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
  The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
  
  grant, 1984
• MacDowell Fellow

Works

Selected works include:

• Five Nocturnes for orchestra
• Panels for chamber ensemble, 1983
• Sagarama for piano and orchestra, 1984
• Cree Songs to the Newborn for soprano and chamber orchestra, 1987
• Implosure for two dancers, slide and tape, 1977
• Chiara's Sea for women's voices, 1988
• Terra Lucida for orchestra, 1988
• Simichai-ya, sax, echoplex, tape, 1987