Judith Lang Zaimont

Judith Lang Zaimont was born on November 8, 1945, in Memphis Tennessee. Her career includes prominent roles as pianist, performer, educator, and composer.

Both Judith Lang Zaimont and her sister, Doris Lang Kosloff, began piano lessons with their mother, Bertha Lang, who was an accomplished pianist and singer. Bertha was very active in the music profession and served as a president of the New York State Music Teachers Association. Judith began lessons at Juilliard at age 12, where she studied piano and theory from 1958-1964. These lessons included piano with Rosina Lhevinne and theory and duo-piano with Ann Hull. Judith and Doris had a successful performance career as duo-pianists that included appearances on Lawrence Welk’s and Mitch Miller’s television programs and a Carnegie Hall debut in 1963.

Judith’s musical ability was observed at an early age. Family members recall her singing in her sleep when she was a child. She also had an incredible ability to play by ear and sight read. She was drawn to the art of composing after performing Chopin. She was not fond of practicing since she did not like to play the same notes over and over. She states, “I like to mess around with the notes.” She began her compositional attempts at age eleven and won first place from the National Federation of Music Clubs for a piece written when she was only twelve.

As Judith continued her education, she received a diploma from the Long Island Institute of Music in 1966, a bachelor's degree from Queens College in 1968, and a master's degree in 1978 from Columbia University. She studied composition with Hugo Weisgall and Jack Beeson at Queens College and later studied with Otto Luening while at Columbia. She also traveled to France through a fellowship in order to study orchestration with André Jolivet. She has taught at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Adelphi University, and the University of Minnesota. She is currently retired.

Zaimont’s music reflects earlier compositional styles. Much of her music incorporates elements from Romanticism and Impressionism, as well as including 20th century techniques. Her music is broadly tonal and emphasizes recognizable structure. She prides herself on the ability to have recognizable form and yet still be creative. One of Zaimont’s most recognizable compositional characteristics is her use of complex rhythms and sudden meter changes. She writes that rhythm is the most important element giving cohesion to a piece. She obscures the expected arrival of the downbeat, as well as incorporates an increased pulse of the music. She also includes cross rhythms.

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