Richard Wernick was an American composer, conductor and teacher whose career included a long association with the University of Pennsylvania. Born in Boston, he studied at Brandeis with Irving Fine, Harold Shapero and Arthur Berger, then with Leon Kirchner at Mills College and Leonard Bernstein at Tanglewood. He joined Penn’s faculty in 1968 and retired in 1996, also serving as department chair and directing the Penn Contemporary Players. His Visions of Terror and Wonder won the 1977 Pulitzer Prize. Further honors included Friedheim Awards for his Violin Concerto and Fourth String Quartet. He also advised Riccardo Muti on contemporary repertory for the Philadelphia Orchestra and conducted a range of new music.