John LaMontaine, 93; composed music for JFK
NEW YORK — John LaMontaine, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer whose works were performed widely and included in the orchestral music for John F. Kennedy’s presidential inauguration, died April 29 at his home in Hollywood, Calif. He was 93. The cause was Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr. LaMontaine’s music was lyrical and often traditional, with a neo-Romantic streak reflected in his embrace of poetry, American themes, and nature. Compositions included a symphony inspired by Thoreau
writings and a piano concerto incorporating bird calls.
The music Mr. LaMontaine wrote for the Kennedy inauguration in 1961, ‘‘Overture: From Sea to Shining Sea,’’ performed by the National Symphony, was the first commissioned specifically for a presidential inauguration.
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