Carolyn Steinberg’s compositions have been performed in concerts and festivals in the U.S. and Europe including Tanglewood, Darmstadt, and Donaueschingen.  Works have been commissioned by the Fromm Foundation, Southwest German Radio Orchestra, and numerous chamber ensembles such as Emerald Trio and Duo Navona.   The 1990 recipient of the Goddard Lieberson Award of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Ms. Steinberg studied composition in the U.S. with Bernard Rands and Ludmila Ulehla, and in Europe with Franco Donatoni and Brian Ferneyhough.  She holds degrees in music composition from The Juilliard School (Doctor of Musical Arts) and Manhattan School of Music (Master of Music), and the University of North Texas (Bachelor’s Degree in music theory).

From 2003 to 2011, Carolyn was Artistic Director of the Delaware Valley Chamber Orchestra, presenting an annual concert of new music in Narrowsburg, New York.  With the organization's mission of providing performance opportunities to local composers and performers, Carolyn built programs that combined professional ensembles (Dorian Wind Quintet, Sweet Plantain String Quartet, Duo Navona, others) playing separately and together with local musicians, and premiering works by both professional and semi-professional composers.  Featured composers included Lee Hoiby, Ricky Ian Gordon, David Tcimpidis, Thermon Barker, and Sergio Garcia-Maruz. 

As a flutist, Carolyn's repertoire ranges from Bach to Debussy to Latin jazz with La Banda Ramirez.  In 2023, Carolyn won a Performance Plus grant from Chamber Music America, resulting in the album "Lizzie's Lounge," with coaching and participation of Hector Martignon.  As with two prior CDs "A Family Ting," "Cuban Butterflies," all are available online.  Carolyn also played flute in performances of La Perichole, Cosi Fan Tutte, and Norma with Delaware Valley Opera, 2007 - 2010.

From 1982 to 1987, Carolyn lived in Freiburg, Germany, where she studied with Brian Ferneyhough.  Her composition "Fluchtpunkte" ("Vanishing Points") was premiered in the Donaueschingen Festival in 1987.  She conducted her "Third Song for the Autumn" in the Darmstadt Summer Courses in 1989.  She also taught eartraining at the Musikhochschule Freiburg and studied conducting with Francis Travis (1983 - '85).

From 1980 to '82, Carolyn lived in Italy, studying with Luciano Berio and with Franco Donatoni.   She lived with Cathy Berberian in Milan, assisting Cathy at home and playing guitar in Cathy's "American" program in concerts in Italy, France, and Switzerland.