Lee Actor (1952- )
Lee
Actor has won a number of awards for his compositions, most
recently for Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, which was the
First Prize
Winner in the 2007 International Horn Society Composition
Contest.
Actor’s orchestral music is characterized by its dramatic impact
and
emotional expressivity, featuring a striking use of harmony,
counterpoint, motivic development, and lyricism with a fresh,
modern
flavor. Actor was named Composer in Residence of
the Palo Alto
Philharmonic in 2002 and has received awards and grants
from
ASCAP, the American Music Center, and the International Horn
Society.COMPOSITIONS Actor Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Quartet for Winds, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon (1977)
Movement for Brass Sextet, trumpets, 2 horns, 2 trombones (1978)
Duo for Violin and Cello (1978)
Notes From My Diary, soprano, clarinet, double bass and 5 percussion (1979)
String Quartet No. 1 (1980)
Movement for Symphonic Band (1981)
Variations and Fugue for Orchestra (2001)
Redwood Fanfare, orchestra (2002)
Symphony No. 1 (2002)
Prelude to a Tragedy, orchestra (2003)
Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra (2005) [arr. as Concerto for Timpani and Band, 2007]
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (2005)
Symphony No. 2 (2006)
Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2007; arr. for horn and band, 2009)
Celebration Overture, orchestra (2007)
Meditation for Violin and Orchestra (2008) [from Concerto for Violin and Orchestra]
Circus Symphonicus, orchestra (2008) [original title: "Philharmonic Fun"]
Opening Remarks, orchestra (2009)
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (2009)
Dance Rhapsody, orchestra (2010)
Divertimento for Small Orchestra (2011)
Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (2011)
Premonition, orchestra (2012)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2012)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (2013)
Kaleidoscopic Overture, band (2014)
Fanfare for 8 Horns (2015)
WORKS BY GENRE Actor Links ~ top of page ~
Orchestral
Variations and Fugue for Orchestra (2001)
Redwood Fanfare, orchestra (2002)
Symphony No. 1 (2002)
Prelude to a Tragedy, orchestra (2003)
Symphony No. 2 (2006)
Celebration Overture, orchestra (2007)
Circus Symphonicus, orchestra (2008) [original title: "Philharmonic Fun"]
Opening Remarks, orchestra (2009)
Dance Rhapsody, orchestra (2010)
Divertimento for Small Orchestra (2011)
Premonition, orchestra (2012)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (2013)
Band
Movement for Symphonic Band (1981)
Concerto for Horn and Band (2009) (band version of Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, 2007)
Kaleidoscopic Overture, band (2014)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra (2005) [arr. as Concerto for Timpani and Band, 2007]
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (2005)
Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2007)
Meditation for Violin and Orchestra (2008) [from Concerto for Violin and Orchestra]
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra (2009)
Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra (2011)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2012)
Chamber
Quartet for Winds, for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon (1977)
Movement for Brass Sextet, for 2 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 trombones (1978)
Duo for Violin and Cello (1978)
String Quartet No. 1 (1980)
Fanfare for 8 Horns (2015)
Vocal
Notes From My Diary, for soprano, clarinet, double bass and 5 percussion (1979)
ACTOR LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
An Interview with Lee Actor (DP Interviews, digitalpress.com)
Composer's website
Actor @ American Music Center
Actor @ The American Prize
Actor @ CHL Artists
Actor @ Classical Archives
Actor @ ClassicsToday
Actor @ Facebook
Actor @ InstantEncore
Actor @ LinkedIn
Actor @ Music & Vision
Actor @ Navona Records
Actor @ OrchestraList
Actor @ Palo Alto Philharmonic
Actor @ Parma Recordings
Actor @ Sax Shed
Actor @ Wind Repertory Project
Streaming Audio
Actor @ Composer's website
Actor @ Classical Archives
Actor @ Music & Vision
Actor @ Palo Alto Philharmonic
Publisher
Actor @ Composer's website
Recordings
Actor @ Composer's website
Actor @ Albany Records
Actor @ Amazon.com
Actor @ ArkivMusic
Actor @ CD Universe
Actor @ ClassicsOnline
Actor @ Navona Records
Violin Concerto/Sym No. .2/Timpani Concerto @ Amazon or ArkivMusic
Music for Orchestra @ Amazon or ArkivMusic
Masterworks of the New Era, Vol. 5 @ Amazon or ArkivMusic
Video
Actor @ YouTube
Horn Concerto (2007) mvt I mvt II mvt III
Reviews
@ Fanfare
@ Music & Vision here & here
@ San Mateo County Times
What's New with Lee Actor
Lee Actor’s Violin Concerto Soars (Keith Kreitman, San Mateo Daily Journal)
No one has ever said the life of a composer is an artistic “cake walk.” Often, he is a lonely soul working in an unheated garret, surviving on canned sardines, bread and water. Well, thankfully, that is not the lot of Lee Actor, but the frustrations and disappointments can be just as acute.
How should one feel if he had written a powerful “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra,” and to date only a few relatively small audiences have had the opportunity to hear it? Getting a newly written major musical work, however worthy, to be performed by major symphony organizations in one’s lifetime depends on how long one has to live. Mostly likely, as with Gustav Mahler, they feel it hasn’t aged enough to program until you are long dead. I don’t think that Actor would want to wait that long.
And he shouldn’t have to. He is certainly the one of the most creative composers around these parts and many other parts, as well. This is not a “one-shot” work. He has already composed and had performed by regional and community orchestras two symphonies, concerti for horn and tympani and number of program works. This is his masterwork to date and one day it will be championed by some major violin soloist and hit the big time.
The first time I heard it, after it had been commissioned by the Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose, it knocked my socks off. It struck me immediately as a work worthy of being included in the repertoire of any symphony orchestra. He composed it with British violinist Pip Clarke in mind and she did perform it at the premier. The result was electric and riveting. I wrote then: “Although Actor pays homage to the harmonies and dissonances of modern composers, his work is really steeped in traditional forms and his orchestrations can match the best of the modernists.” Hearing it performed again last weekend by the Palo Alto Philharmonic in the Cubberly Theatre in Palo Alto, with David Felberg soloing, I have become even more impressed with the Actor’s scoring of tonal and timbre coloration and his unique instrumental combinations. Felberg, active in the Southwest states, is an excellent violinist and with the orchestra under the direction of Thomas Shoebotham they tapped the essence of the work. The audience reception was, not surprisingly, very noisy and enthusiastic.
Perhaps, yet, in my lifetime, I will hear it for a third time in the concert hall of some orchestra of first rank.
Strong Performance of an Entertaining Piece of Music (John Orr, Palo Alto Daily News)
A cold and rainy night could not keep fans of the Palo Alto Philharmonic away on Saturday evening, as that ensemble performed the significantly engaging Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by composer-in- residence Lee Actor before an almost full house at Cubberly Auditorium. The Concerto, completed in November 2005, is new to me, and I found it completely entertaining as delivered under the stern baton of Music Director Shoebotham, who is a master of pacing and dynamics. The first movement, "Proclamation," states its themes quickly, moving with drama, conflict and even comedy from idea to idea, including a bit of dance music. The second movement, "Meditation," is very cool, with fascinating and massive chunks of pizzicato strings from the orchestra backing soloist David Felberg's beautiful and rich violin work. The third movement, "Exhilaration," is bright and fun, with lots of soloist vs. orchestra dueling.Overall, it's a delightful piece and one I would gladly hear again. I was tickled to hear a bit of John Williams influence in the first movement, and thoroughly enjoyed Actor's creative use of pizzicato. Felberg, associated concertmaster of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, played wonderfully, pulling the beautiful resonance and warmth out of his instrument that is the province of a really good violin.
Lee Actor: Horn Concerto, mvt I (2007)
Lee Actor: Horn Concerto, mvt II (2007)
Lee Actor: Horn Concerto, mvt III (2007)
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