Composer Julia Wolfe says her visit to a Pennsylvania coal mine helped inspire “Anthracite Fields,” a tribute to the state’s mining heritage β and, now, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in music.
Wolfe spoke with former miners and their families as she researched the history of anthracite mining. Her piece for chorus and sextet honors the hard work and sacrifice of generations of anthracite miners.
The anthracite industry helped fuel America’s industrial revolution and provided heat for cities and towns up and down the Eastern Seaboard, but claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Wolfe, a native of the Philadelphia suburbs who has lived in New York City for more than 30 years, says she’s stunned by her Pulitzer victory.
