Norman Dello Joio was an American classical composer celebrated for his uniquely accessible style at a time when modernists dominated American musical institutions. Mentored by Hindemith, Dello Joio developed his own musical vocabulary which effectively synthesized the aesthetics of Italian opera, liturgical music, and jazz. His compositions are often described as being colorful, carefully-crafted, and flamboyant. In 1957 he won a Pulitzer Prize for his Meditation on Ecclesiastes for string orchestra and in 1965 an Emmy for the television score The Louvre.