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Ofer Ben-Amots (1955-    )

Ofer Ben-Amots, composerThe Israeli composer Ofer Ben-Amots made his dbut as a pianist at the age of nine, going on to study in Tel Aviva, Geneva, Detmold and finally at the University of Pennsylvania, after his emigration to the United States in 1987. A winner of composition prizes in Vienna, South Africa, and Japan, and in 1999 of the Aaron Copland Award and the Music Composition Artist Fellowship by the Colorado Council on the Arts. Ben-Amots is a Jerusalem Fellow of the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity, and he has been its artistic director for North America since 1997. He is also associate professor of music at the Colorado College in Colorado Springs. His work for soprano, klezmer clarinet, and mens chorus, Mizmor: Seven Degrees of Praise, a setting of Psalm 150, had its first performance at Lincoln Center in New York in November 2003 as part of Only in America, an international conference-festival sponsored jointly by the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Milken Archive. Ben-Amots’ works have been repeatedly recognized for their emotional and highly personal expression. The interweaving of folk elements with contemporary textures, along with his unique imaginative orchestration, creates the haunting dynamic tension that permeates and defines Mr. Ben-Amots’ musical language.

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Ben-Amots Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre
Miniatures et Collage, flute (1977)
Toccata, piano or organ (1978)
Scherzo, piano or organ (1978)
Shirat Israel, cantata, mezzo-soprano and orchestra (1978)
Pierrot, ballet (1981)
Ceremonial Music, saxophone, trumpet and piano (1982)
Hashkivenu, string quartet (1982)
Sonata, cello and piano (1982)
Five Ancient Dances, clarinet (or flute) and piano (1983)
Etude in C, piano or organ (1984)
Praeludium and Fuga in C, piano or organ (1984)
Sonatina, piano (1984)
The Joyce Cycle, medium voice and orchestra (1984-85) [text: poems by J. Joyce]
Shtetl Songs, voice and piano; or chorus (1985/86)
Hineh Al Heharim (Here on the Mountains), 4 to 8-part canon, chorus (1987) [text: Nachum 2, 1-3]
Ma Tishtochachi Nafshi (Why So Downcast, My Soul), chorus (1987/88) [text: Psalm 42]
Story Number 2, narrator and small orchestra (1983/88) [text: Eugene Ionesco]
Fanfare, orchestra (1988)
Al Naharot Bavel (By the Rivers of Babylon), four part canon, chorus, piano and percussion (1988) [text: Psalm 137]
Piano Pieces for Children, piano (1983/89)
Psalm 81 (Upon Gitith), chorus and metal percussion (1989) [text: Psalm 81]
Hashkivenu (Cause us, Oh God to Lie Down in Peace), chorus, organ and mixed percussion (1989/90)
Yeeheyu Le’ratzon (May the Words), chorus (1989/90) [text: Amidah prayer]
Avis Urbanus, amplified flute (1990)
Haunted Toccata, piano or organ (1990)
Untitled No. 1, piano or organ (1990)
Psalm 23, soprano, clarinet and percussion (1990)
Three Love Songs, chorus and piano (1991)
I, Jerusalem …, any size clarinet (1991)
Variations on a French Children’s Song, orchestra (1992)
Fool’s Paradise, opera buffa in 5 scenes (1993-94) [based on a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer]
Celestial Dialogues, voice, clarinet and string orchestra (1994)
Mt. Fuji Ceremonial Fanfare, band (1996)
A Fool’s Journey, 8-part chorus, percussion and piano (1996; rev. 2008) [text: Süsskind von Trimberg/13th century]
Midnight Dance, violin (or cello) and piano (1996)
Cantillations, clarinet and cello (or viola) (1997)
Elemental Drums, Music for Dance, mixed wind ensemble, 3 percussionists, and guitar (1997)
Kinah (Lament), piano and high-voice (1998)
Prophetic Tropes (Te’amey Nevu’ah), trombone (or bass trombone) and extended piano (1989/99)
A Letter to Avigdor, violin (1990/99)
The Angel’s Lament, clarinet (1999)
Five Hassidic Songs, chorus, or female chorus (1999/2000) [arrangements of trad. Hassidic songs w/or w/o piano]
Akëda, piano or organ (2000)
The Dybbuk Suite, chamber symphony and solo vocalist (2002)
The Queen City Fanfare, trumpet and organ (2002) [also for trumpet and brass choir; or oboe, piano and percussion]
Mizmor - Ten Degrees of Praise (Psalm 150), soprano, clarinet, male chorus and percussion (2003)
The Red Curtain Dance, oboe or clarinet (2003)
Songs from the Pomegranate Garden, song cycle, voice & pf (2004; arr. for mz & chbr orch, 2005) [on Judeo-Spanish songs]
The Klezmer Concerto, clarinet, string orchestra, harp and percussion (2006)
The Heart and the Fountain, chorus or female chorus and percussion (2006)
Three Popular Songs (Ladino), voice and piano (2006)
The Dybbuk, a multimedia chamber opera in 3 acts (2007)
    - The Dybbuk Song Cycle, voice and piano (2008) [based on the opera, 2007]
The Quasquicentennial Organ Book, organ (1998/2008)
The Odessa Trio (in memory of J. Dorfman), violin, cello and piano (2008)
The Sweet Pain of Love, voice and violin (2008) [text: poem by Nathan Zach]


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Ben-Amots Links     ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Pierrot, ballet (1981)
Story Number 2, narrator and small orchestra (1983/88) [text: Eugene Ionesco]
Fool’s Paradise, opera buffa in 5 scenes (1993-94) [based on a story by Isaac Bashevis Singer]
The Dybbuk, a multimedia chamber opera in 3 acts (2007)

Orchestra
Pierrot, suite from ballet, orchestra (1981)
Story Number 2, narrator and small orchestra (1983/88) [text: Eugene Ionesco]
Fanfare, orchestra (1988)
Variations on a French Children’s Song, orchestra (1992)
The Dybbuk Suite, chamber symphony and solo vocalist (2002)

Band
Mt. Fuji Ceremonial Fanfare, band (1996)

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
The Klezmer Concerto, clarinet, string orchestra, harp and percussion (2006)

Choral
Shtetl Songs, voice and piano; or chorus (1985/86)
Hineh Al Heharim (Here on the Mountains), 4 to 8-part canon, chorus (1987) [text: Nachum 2, 1-3]
Ma Tishtochachi Nafshi (Why So Downcast, My Soul), chorus (1987/88) [text: Psalm 42]
Al Naharot Bavel (By the Rivers of Babylon), four part canon, chorus, piano and percussion (1988) [text: Psalm 137]
Psalm 81 (Upon Gitith), chorus and metal percussion (1989) [text: Psalm 81]
Hashkivenu (Cause us, Oh God to Lie Down in Peace), chorus, organ and mixed percussion (1989/90)
Yeeheyu Le’ratzon (May the Words), chorus (1989/90) [text: Amidah prayer]
Three Love Songs, chorus and piano (1991)
A Fool’s Journey, 8-part chorus, percussion and piano (1996; rev. 2008) [text: Süsskind von Trimberg/13th century]
Five Hassidic Songs, chorus, or female chorus (1999/2000) [arrangements of trad. Hassidic songs w/or w/o piano]
Mizmor - Ten Degrees of Praise (Psalm 150), soprano, clarinet, male chorus and percussion (2003)
The Heart and the Fountain, chorus or female chorus and percussion (2006)

Chamber
Ceremonial Music, saxophone, trumpet and piano (1982)
Hashkivenu, string quartet (1982)
Cantillations, clarinet and cello (or viola) (1997)
Prophetic Tropes (Te’amey Nevu’ah), trombone (or bass trombone) and extended piano (1989/99)
Elemental Drums, Music for Dance, mixed wind ensemble, 3 percussionists, and guitar (1997)
The Queen City Fanfare, trumpet and organ (2002) [also for trumpet and brass choir; or oboe, piano and percussion]
The Odessa Trio (in memory of J. Dorfman), violin, cello and piano (2008)

Solo Instrument
Miniatures et Collage, flute (1977)
Sonata, cello and piano (1982)
Five Ancient Dances, clarinet (or flute) and piano (1983)
Avis Urbanus, amplified flute (1990)
I, Jerusalem …, any size clarinet (1991)
Midnight Dance, violin (or cello) and piano (1996)
A Letter to Avigdor, violin (1990/99)
The Angel’s Lament, clarinet (1999)
The Red Curtain Dance, oboe or clarinet (2003)

Piano
Toccata, piano or organ (1978)
Scherzo, piano or organ (1978)
Etude in C, piano or organ (1984)
Praeludium and Fuga in C, piano or organ (1984)
Piano Pieces for Children, piano (1983/89)
Sonatina, piano (1984)
    - Praeludium
    - Midnight Dance
    - Mosquito
    - Tambourine
Haunted Toccata, piano or organ (1990)
Untitled No. 1, piano or organ (1990)
Akëda, piano or organ (2000)
The Quasquicentennial Organ Book, organ (1998/2008)
    - Processional (1999)
    - Pastoral Invocation (1998)
    - The Q Anthem (1999)
    - Teru’ah (Recessional) (2008)

Vocal
Shirat Israel, cantata, mezzo-soprano and orchestra (1978)
The Joyce Cycle, medium voice and orchestra (1984-85) [text: poems by J. Joyce]
Shtetl Songs, voice and piano; or chorus (1985/86)
Psalm 23, soprano, clarinet and percussion (1990)
Celestial Dialogues, voice, clarinet and string orchestra (1994)
Kinah (Lament), piano and high-voice (1998)
The Dybbuk Suite, chamber symphony and solo vocalist (2002)
Songs from the Pomegranate Garden, song cycle, voice & pf (2004; arr. for mz & chbr orch, 2005) [on Judeo-Spanish songs]
Three Popular Songs (Ladino), voice and piano (2006)
The Dybbuk Song Cycle, voice and piano (2008) [based on the opera, 2007]
The Sweet Pain of Love, voice and violin (2008) [text: poem by Nathan Zach]


BEN-AMOTS  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre      ~ top of page ~
The Dybbuk: Between Two Worlds - A Multimedia Chamber Opera (Dybbuk Press)

Composer's website        . . . contact Ofer Ben-Amots: here

Ben-Amots @ Wikipedia
Ben-Amots @ Center for Jewish Culture & Creativity
Ben-Amots @ Classical Archives
Ben-Amots @ Colorado College
Ben-Amots @ Dilettante Music
Ben-Amots @ Facebook
Ben-Amots @ Hartung Artists Management
Ben-Amots @ InstantEncore
Ben-Amots @ Jewish Music Web Center
Ben-Amots @ Kallisti Music Press
Ben-Amots @ LinkedIn
Ben-Amots @ Michelstadt
Ben-Amots @ Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
Ben-Amots @ MusicWeb International
Ben-Amots @ Naxos
Ben-Amots @ Pikes Peak Young Composers

Publisher
Ben-Amots @ Composer's website
Ben-Amots @ Kallisti Music Press
also
    - Baerenreiter
    - Muramatsu Inc.
    - Dorn
    - Tara Publications

Streaming Audio
Ben-Amots @ Classical Archives
Ben-Amots @ last.fm
Ben-Amots @ Rhapsody

Recordings
Ben-Amots @ ArkivMusic
Ben-Amots @ ClassicsOnline
Ben-Amots @ Discogs    also    here
Ben-Amots @ Milken Archive of Jewish Music

Video
Ben-Amots @ YouTube
Ben-Amots @ Google Video
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