Pierre Jalbert (1967- )
Pierre
Jalbert is one of the most highly regarded American composers of his
generation, earning widespread notice for his richly colored and
superbly crafted scores. Focusing primarily on instrumental works,
Jalbert has developed a musical language that is engaging, expressive,
and deeply personal. Among his many honors are the Rome Prize, the BBC
Masterprize, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's Stoeger
Award, given biennially "in recognition of significant contributions to
the chamber music repertory," and a 2010 American Academy of Arts and
Letters award. Born in Manchester, New Hampshire, Jalbert grew up in
northern Vermont; his family originally came from Quebec. He began
piano lessons at the age of five, immersing himself in the classical
repertoire. Growing up, he also heard French and English folk songs and
Catholic liturgical music, gaining a deep respect for music that
communicates powerfully with an economy of means. Following
undergraduate studies in piano and composition at Oberlin Conservatory,
Jalbert earned a PhD in Composition at the University of Pennsylvania
under principal teacher George Crumb. He won the Rome Prize in
2000-2001. Jalbert has served as Composer-in-Residence with the Los
Angeles Chamber Orchestra (2002-05), Chicago's Music in the Loft
Chamber Music Series (2003), and the California Symphony under Barry
Jekowsky (1999-2002). Jalbert's compositions have been warmly embraced
by the chamber music world as well, with performances by the Borromeo,
Chiara, Enso, Jasper, Maia, and Ying String Quartets, and violinist
Midori. Recent commissions have also come from the Emerson String
Quartet, Music from Copland House, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln
Center, and the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music. Jalbert's music is
tonally centered, incorporating modal, tonal, and sometimes quite
dissonant harmonies while retaining a sense of harmonic motion and
arrival. He is particularly noted for his mastery of instrumental
color: in both chamber works and orchestral scores, he creates timbres
that are vivid yet refined. His rhythmic shapes are cogent, often with
an unmistakable sense of underlying pulsation. Driving rhythms often
alternate with slow sections in which time seems to be suspended. COMPOSITIONS Jalbert Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Jalbert on Jalbert
Timing and Collisions, piano and electronics (1989)
Rhythmus, violin, viola, cello and piano (1991)
Relativity Variations, piano (1991)
Songs of Gibran, soprano, cello, piano and 1 percussionist (1992) [text: Kahlil Gibran]
Sonata Quartet, clarinet/bass cl/soprano saxophone [1 player - sop. sax opt.], piano and 2 percussionists (1995)
String Quartet (1995)
Dual Velocity, cello and piano (1998)
Trio, violin, cello and piano (1998)
Sonatine, violin and guitar (1999)
Two Character Pieces, tuba (1999)
In Aeternam, orchestra (2000)
Transcendental Windows, chamber ensemble (2000)
Les espaces infinis, chamber orchestra (2001)
Symphonia Sacra, orchestra (2001)
Sonata for Solo Marimba (2001)
Toccata, piano (2001)
Visual Abstract, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and 1 percussionist (2002)
The Invention of the Saxophone, alto sax and piano, w/opt. narrator (2003)
Chamber Symphony, orchestra (2004)
Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2004)
Icefield Sonnets, string quartet (2004) [inspired by poems of Anthony Hawley]
big sky, orchestra (2005)
Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra (2005)
Icefield Sonnets, soprano, baritone, vln, vc, pf & perc (2005) [text: Anthony Hawley] [based on same poems as work for str qt]
Diesis, harp (2005)
Four Porter Songs, soprano, baritone and piano (2005) [text: Christina Porter]
Wood/Metal Music, percussion ensemble [10 players] (2006)
String Quartet No. 3 (2006)
Fire and Ice, orchestra (2007) [2 mvt, 20 min. work]
Music of air and fire, orchestra (2007) [6 min. work] [based on some of the same ideas as "Fire and Ice", 2007]
Sonata for Cello and Piano (2007)
Autumn Rhapsody, string orchestra (2008)
String Trio (2008)
String Quartet No. 4 (2008)
L’œil écoute (The eye listens), fl, cl, vln, vc, pf and perc (2009) [for film/digitally created images, in collab w/Jean Detheux]
Sonata for Piano (2009)
Elegy, string orchestra (2011)
Into the Tempest, chamber orchestra (2011)
Shades of Memory, orchestra (2011)
Wild Ambrosia, violin and piano (2010)
Crossings, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2011)
String Quartet No. 5 (2011)
Klang, 2 pianos and 1 percussionist (2011)
Trio, clarinet, violin and piano (2011)
Secret Alchemy, violin, viola, cello and piano (2012)
Fanfare Da Camera, brass ensemble (2012)
WORKS BY GENRE Jalbert Links ~ ~ ~ Jalbert on Jalbert ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
In Aeternam, orchestra (2000)
Les espaces infinis, chamber orchestra (2001)
Symphonia Sacra, orchestra (2001)
Chamber Symphony, orchestra (2004)
big sky, orchestra (2005)
Fire and Ice, orchestra (2007) [2 mvt, 20 min. work]
Music of air and fire, orchestra (2007) [6 min. work] [based on some of the same ideas as "Fire and Ice", 2007]
Autumn Rhapsody, string orchestra (2008)
Elegy, string orchestra (2011)
Into the Tempest, chamber orchestra (2011)
Shades of Memory, orchestra (2011)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concerto for Horn and Orchestra (2004)
Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra (2005)
Chamber
Rhythmus, violin, viola, cello and piano (1991)
Sonata Quartet, clarinet/bass cl/soprano saxophone [1 player - sop. sax opt.], piano and 2 percussionists (1995)
String Quartet (1995)
Dual Velocity, cello and piano (1998)
Trio, violin, cello and piano (1998)
Sonatine, violin and guitar (1999)
Transcendental Windows, chamber ensemble (2000)
Visual Abstract, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and 1 percussionist (2002)
Icefield Sonnets, string quartet (2004) [inspired by poems of Anthony Hawley] [see vocal work based on same poems]
- Cold is a Cell
- Glass is a Place
- North is a Notion
Wood/Metal Music, percussion ensemble [10 players] (2006)
String Quartet No. 3 (2006)
String Trio (2008)
String Quartet No. 4 (2008)
L’œil écoute (The eye listens), fl, cl, vln, vc, pf and perc (2009) [for film/digitally created images, in collab w/Jean Detheux]
Crossings, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (2011)
Trio, clarinet, violin and piano (2011)
Secret Alchemy, violin, viola, cello and piano (2012)
Fanfare Da Camera, brass ensemble (2012)
Instrument and Piano or Guitar
Dual Velocity, cello and piano (1998)
Sonatine, violin and guitar (1999)
The Invention of the Saxophone, alto sax and piano, w/opt. narrator (2003)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (2007)
Wild Ambrosia, violin and piano (2010)
Solo Instrument
Two Character Pieces, tuba (1999)
Sonata for Solo Marimba (2001)
Diesis, harp (2005)
Percussion
Sonata Quartet, clarinet/bass cl/soprano saxophone [1 player - sop. sax opt.], piano and 2 percussionists (1995)
Sonata for Solo Marimba (2001)
Visual Abstract, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and 1 percussionist (2002)
Wood/Metal Music, percussion ensemble [10 players] (2006)
Klang, 2 pianos and 1 percussionist (2011)
Piano
Timing and Collisions, piano and electronics (1989)
Relativity Variations, piano (1991)
Toccata, piano (2001)
Sonata for Piano (2009)
Klang, 2 pianos and 1 percussionist (2011)
Vocal
Songs of Gibran, soprano, cello, piano and 1 percussionist (1992) [text: Kahlil Gibran]
- Prelude
- Song of Beauty
- Song of the Wave
- Interlude
- Song of the Rain
- A Song
Four Porter Songs, soprano, baritone and piano (2005) [text: Christina Porter]
- 3 (three hee hee)
- Guitar Summer
- The Song of Silverware
- Sketch of an Opera Singer Sleeping
Icefield Sonnets, soprano, baritone, vln, vc, pf & perc (2005) [text: Anthony Hawley] [based on same poems as work for str qt]
- Cold is a Cell
- Glass is a Place
- North is a Notion
Electronic
Timing and Collisions, piano and electronics (1989)
JALBERT LINKS Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Jalbert on Jalbert ~ top of page ~
Composer Pierre Jalbert Receives 2007 Stoeger Prize at Lincoln Center (Frank J. Oteri, NewMusicBox)
Modern Composer Pierre Jalbert Talks About His Work (Luke Quinton, American Statesman)
Pierre Jalbert: All Music Great and Small (Alexandra Gardner, NewMusicBox)
Pierre Jalbert: An Interview (Tom Moore, Opera Today)
Princeton Symphony Orchestra to Present 'Behind the Music' with Pierre Jalbert (Pennington Post)
The VSO Asks Pierre Jalbert Six Questions (Vermont Symphony Orchestra Blog)
Composer's website . . . contact Pierre Jalbert: here also here
Jalbert @ Arizona Friends of Chamber Music
Jalbert @ Art of the States
Jalbert @ Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
Jalbert @ Classical Archives
Jalbert @ ClassicalConnect
Jalbert @ ClassicsToday (via Google Advanced Search)
Jalbert @ Contemporary Composers Index
Jalbert @ Dworkin & Company
Jalbert @ Facebook
Jalbert @ InstantEncore
Jalbert @ LinkedIn
Jalbert @ Musicqa
Jalbert @ MusicWeb International
Jalbert @ New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
Jalbert @ NewMusicBox (via Google Advanced Search)
Jalbert @ New Music USA
Jalbert @ The New York Times
Jalbert @ No Extra Notes
Jalbert @ Theodore Presser
Jalbert @ Rice University/Shepherd School of Music
Jalbert @ Salt Bay ChamberFest
Jalbert @ Salzberg Global Seminar
Jalbert @ Vermont Symphony Orchestra Blog also here
Publisher
Jalbert @ Composer's website/publisher listings
Jalbert @ Theodore Presser
Jalbert @ PSNY/European American Music Distributors
Jalbert @ Schott Music
Streaming Audio
Jalbert @ Composer's website - check under individual work listings
Jalbert @ Arizona Friends of Chamber Music
Jalbert @ Art of the States
Jalbert @ Classical Archives
Jalbert @ ClassicalConnect
Jalbert @ last.fm
Jalbert @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Jalbert @ ReverbNation
Jalbert @ Rhapsody.com
Jalbert @ SoundCloud
Recordings
Jalbert @ Composer's website
Jalbert @ Amazon.com
Jalbert @ ArkivMusic
Jalbert @ CD Universe
Jalbert @ ClassicsOnline
Jalbert @ Naxos
Video
Jalbert @ YouTube
Jalbert @ Google Video
Jalbert @ Vimeo (via Google Advanced Search)
~ top of page ~
Jalbert on Jalbert: All Music Great and Small (VIDEO)
Jalbert on Jalbert: On Being a Pianist Composer (VIDEO)
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