Ezra Laderman (1924–2015) was an American composer and teacher whose catalogue includes symphonies, concertos, operas and twelve string quartets. Born in Brooklyn, he studied at Brooklyn College and Columbia University, working with teachers including Stefan Wolpe, Otto Luening and Douglas Moore. At Yale he served as composer-in-residence before becoming dean of the School of Music in 1989; he later continued there as a composition professor. Laderman received three Guggenheim Fellowships and a Rome Prize, and served as president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His opera Marilyn was presented by New York City Opera in 1993. Chamber music remained central to his work throughout a career that also encompassed large orchestral and theatrical forms.