Andrew Rindfleisch ’90 MM Named Pulitzer Prize Finalist for American Descent

Published on May 11, 2026

Composer Andrew Rindfleisch ’90 MM has been named a finalist for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in music for his composition American Descent, a five-movement work for 13 players that premiered in October 2025.

Commissioned and premiered by the NO EXIT New Music Ensemble, American Descent explores the decline of a once prosperous society into chaos, division, and violence. The work’s five movements, Descending, Bread and Circuses, Interlude: Reminiscence, Cruelty, and Ascending, trace a journey from societal collapse toward a sense of hope and renewal.

Andrew has built an internationally recognized career as a composer, conductor, pianist, producer, and educator. His honors include the Rome Prize, a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, the Aaron Copland Award, and the Charles Ives Award.

Andrew currently serves as head of the Music Composition Program at Cleveland State University and leads the Composition Institute at the CHROMA International Music Festival near Budapest, Hungary.

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