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Karim Al-Zand (1970-     )

Karim Al-Zand, composer The music of Canadian-American composer Karim Al-Zand has been called “strong and startlingly lovely” (Boston Globe). His compositions are wide-ranging, from settings of classical Arabic poetry, to scores for dance, and pieces for young audiences. His works explore connections between music and other arts, and draw inspiration from diverse sources such as 19th century graphic art, fables of the world, folksong and jazz. The themes of many of his pieces speak to his middle-eastern heritage as well. Al-Zand’s music has enjoyed success in the United States, Canada and abroad, and he is the recipient of several national awards, including the Sackler Composition Prize, the ArtSong Prize and the Louisville Orchestra Competition Prize. He holds degrees from Harvard and McGill Universities and is currently on the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music of Rice University in Houston. Al-Zand is also a founding member of Musiqa, Houston’s premiere contemporary music group, which presents concerts featuring new and classic repertoire of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Al-Zand Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre
Winter Scenes (4 songs), mezzo-soprano, harp, flute/alto flute and viola (1997) [text: D. G. Jones]
Duet, harp and viola (1998)
A Measure In Trance (6 songs), chorus (2000) [text: Al-Mutazz]
Triton and the Giants, a tone poem, wind ensemble (2001)
Parizade and the Singing Tree, a folk tale, narrator, flute/picc/alto fl), clarinet /bass cl, vln,cello, piano and perc (2001)
Leila, song cycle, baritone, guitar and string quartet (2001)
String Quartet No. 2, "Etudes" (2002)
Variations, viola and piano (2002)
Capriccios, violin (2002-   )
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad, a tone poem, orchestra (2003)
Four Fables, flute, clarinet and piano (2003)
Concertino for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra (2004)
Music Box Prelude, piccolo, clarinet, violin, cello, piano (or harp) and percussion (2004)
The Sky With All Its Stars, song cycle, baritone and piano (2004) [text: Rabindranath Tagore]
The Secret Of Your Heart, song cycle, mezzo-soprano and piano (2004) [text: Rabindranath Tagore]
Tagore Love Songs, song cycle, mezzo-soprano, baritone and piano (2004) [text: Rabindranath Tagore]
Red Pajamas, variations on a folk tune, flute/picc, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (2005) [a work for young audiences]
The Waiting Game, a choreographic scene for dance, flute/pic), clarinet/bass cl, violin, cello, harp and percussion (2005)
Fanfare, trumpet ensemble (2005)
Pattern Preludes, Book 1, piano (2005)
Imaginary Scenes, violin and piano (2005)
City Scenes, 3 urban dances, orchestra (2006)
Three Character Pieces, bassoon and viola (2006)
Lamentation on The Disasters of War, string sextet (2006) [after etchings of Goya]
Tableau and Details, cello and piano (2006)
Lingering, a ringtone for  piano, violin and cello (2007)
String Quartet No. 3. "The Art of Conversation", seven dialogues for string quartet (2007)
Visions from Another World, orchestra (2008) [after illustrations by J. J. Grandville]
Pattern Preludes, Book 2, piano (2009)
Cabinet of Curiosities, clarinet and piano (2009)
Pattern Preludes, Book 3, piano (2009)
Swimmy, narrator, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2010) [based on the children’s picture book by Leo Lionni]


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Al-Zand Links     ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Parizade and the Singing Tree, a folk tale, narrator, flute/picc/alto fl), clarinet /bass cl, vln,cello, piano and perc (2001)
Red Pajamas, variations on a folk tune, flute/picc, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (2005) [a work for young audiences]e Waiting Game, a choreographic scene for dance, flute/pic), clarinet/bass cl, violin, cello, harp and percussion (2005)
Swimmy, narrator, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2010) [based on the children’s picture book by Leo Lionni]

Orchestra
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad, a tone poem, orchestra (2003)
City Scenes, 3 urban dances, orchestra (2006)
Visions from Another World, orchestra (2008) [after illustrations by J. J. Grandville]

Band
Triton and the Giants, a tone poem, wind ensemble (2001)

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concertino for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra (2004)

Choral
A Measure In Trance (6 songs), chorus (2000) [text: Al-Mutazz]

Chamber
Duet, harp and viola (1998)
Parizade and the Singing Tree, a folk tale, narrator, flute/picc/alto fl), clarinet /bass cl, vln,cello, piano and perc (2001)
String Quartet No. 2, "Etudes" (2002)
Four Fables, flute, clarinet and piano (2003)
Music Box Prelude, piccolo, clarinet, violin, cello, piano (or harp) and percussion (2004)
Red Pajamas, variations on a folk tune, flute/picc, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (2005) [a work for young audiences]
The Waiting Game, a choreographic scene for dance, flute/pic), clarinet/bass cl, violin, cello, harp and percussion (2005)
Fanfare, trumpet ensemble (2005)
Three Character Pieces, bassoon and viola (2006)
Lamentation on The Disasters of War, string sextet (2006) [after etchings of Goya]
Lingering, a ringtone for  piano, violin and cello (2007)
String Quartet No. 3. "The Art of Conversation", seven dialogues for string quartet (2007)

Solo Instrument
Variations, viola and piano (2002)
Capriccios, violin (2002-   )
Imaginary Scenes, violin and piano (2005)
Tableau and Details, cello and piano (2006)
Cabinet of Curiosities, clarinet and piano (2009)

Piano
Pattern Preludes, Book 1, piano (2005)
Pattern Preludes, Book 2, piano (2009)
Pattern Preludes, Book 3, piano (2009)

Vocal
Winter Scenes (4 songs), mezzo-soprano, harp, flute/alto flute and viola (1997) [text: D. G. Jones]
Parizade and the Singing Tree, a folk tale, narrator, flute/picc/alto fl), clarinet /bass cl, vln,cello, piano and perc (2001)
Leila, song cycle, baritone, guitar and string quartet (2001)
The Sky With All Its Stars, song cycle, baritone and piano (2004) [text: Rabindranath Tagore]
The Secret Of Your Heart, song cycle, mezzo-soprano and piano (2004) [text: Rabindranath Tagore]
Tagore Love Songs, song cycle, mezzo-soprano, baritone and piano (2004) [text: Rabindranath Tagore]


AL-ZAND  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre      ~ top of page ~
Beautiful in a Dark Way (Tara Dooley, Houston Chronicle)
Bring Your Imagination (Nancy Wozny, CultureMap)
Shepherd School’s Al-Zand Wins Composing Competition (Sallyport/In the News)

Composer's website        . . . contact Karim Al-Zand: karim@alzand.com

Al-Zand @ American Festival for the Arts
Al-Zand @ Answers.com
Al-Zand @ composition:today
Al-Zand @ Facebook
Al-Zand @ Forecast Music
Al-Zand @ InstantEncore
Al-Zand @ LinkedIn
Al-Zand @ Meet the Composer
Al-Zand @ MySpaceMusic
Al-Zand @ The New York Times
Al-Zand @ Performance Today/American Public Media    also    here
Al-Zand @ Rice University/Shepherd School of Music

Publisher
Al-Zand @ Composer's website

Streaming Audio
Al-Zand @ Composer's website
Al-Zand @ MySpaceMusic
Al-Zand @ Rice University/Shepherd School of Music

Recordings
Al-Zand @ ArkivMusic
Al-Zand @ ClassicsOnline
Al-Zand @ Discogs

Video
Al-Zand @ YouTube
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