Bienen Prof. Lee Hyla died Friday at age 62, Northwestern said Tuesday.

Hyla was an award-winning composer famous for his originality, NU said. He began working at the Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music in 2007 after teaching at the New England Conservatory. He was the Harry N. and Ruth F. Wyatt Chair in Music Theory and Composition.

“The Bienen School of Music has lost a great composer and inspirational pedagogue,” Bienen Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery said. “The impressive list of commissions Professor Hyla received from artists such as the Kronos Quartet, Midori, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra are evidence of the high level of respect Lee commanded from the professional musical community.”

Hyla composed for several ensembles including the Kronos Quartet, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

He has also received many honors throughout his life including the Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, the Goddard Lieberson Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the St. Botolph Club Distinguished Artist Award and the Rome Prize.

He is survived by his wife, Katherine Desjardins, NU said.

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