Nancy Laird Chance

Nancy Laird Chance (born March 19, 1931) is an American pianist and composer. She studied at Bryn Mawr College from 1949 to 1950 and Columbia University from 1959 to 1967 with Vladimir Ussachevsky, Otto Luening and Chou Wen-chung.

After completing her studies, Chance worked as a piano teacher, composer and arts administrator. She received the ASCAP/Nissim prize for orchestral composition in 1981 for Liturgy and in 1984 for Odysseus. She also received two awards from the NEA, and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and Sundance Film for composition in 1988. Her works have been performed at venues such as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall. Laird Chance lived and taught in Kenya from 1974-1978.

Works Selected works include: Liturgy, for orchestra, 1979 Odysseus, suite for orchestra, 1983 Planasthai, for orchestra, 1991 Darksong, for chamber ensemble, 1972 Edensong, for chamber ensemble, 1973 Daysongs, for chamber ensemble, 1974 Ritual Sounds, for chamber ensemble, 1975 Ceremonial, for chamber ensemble, 1976 Declamation and Song, for chamber ensemble, 1977 Duos II, oboe, English horn, 1978 Duos III, violin, violincello, 1980 Exultation and Lament, sax, timpany, 1980 Solemnities, 1981 Woodwind Quintet, 1983 Rhapsodia, 1984 String Quartet, no.1, 1984–5 Elegy, string orchestra, 1986 Heat and Silence, 1989 Domine, Dominus, motet, double chorus unaccompanied, 1964 Odysseus, chorus and orchestra, 1981–3 In Paradisium, 1986–7, chorus and chamber ensemble, 1987 Pie Jesu, Libera me, Hosanna and Benedictus, chorus and chamber ensemble, 1990 3 Rilke Songs, Soprano, flute, English horn, violincello, 1966 Duos I, Soprano, flute, 1975 Say the Good Words, violin, synth, 1989 Last Images, film, 1988

Her music has been recorded and issued on CD by Opus One.