Lee Hyla (1952–2014) was an American composer whose music brought the energy of jazz, rock and punk into an individual approach to contemporary concert music. Born in Niagara Falls and raised in Greencastle, Indiana, he studied at the New England Conservatory and the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He taught at the New England Conservatory before joining Northwestern University’s composition faculty in 2007. His works were commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, among others. Hyla received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Rome Prize and the Stoeger Prize. His chamber music frequently combines sharply contrasting textures with forceful rhythmic writing.