Howard Swanson (August 18, 1907 – November 12, 1978) was an American composer. Swanson studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and was then taught by Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He received fellowships, awards and prizes. His preference was for linear construction and lyrical works with subtle tonal centers. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia and died in New York City.
Swanson’s Symphony no. 2 (a.k.a. the "Short Symphony") was acclaimed in its premier by the NY Philharmonic under Dimitri Mitropoulos in 1950 and at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1951, was also judged the best work of the season by the New York Music Critics Circle.
In 1952 Swanson received a grant from the National Academy of Arts and Letters and a Guggenheim Fellowship.