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Gary Kulesha (1954-     )

Gary Kulesha, composer Gary Kulesha is one of Canada's most active and visible musicians. Although principally a composer, he is active as both a pianist, conductor and teacher. His music has been commissioned, performed and recorded by musicians and ensembles all over the world. In 1986 he was named Composer of the Year by PROCanada, the youngest composer ever to be so honoured, and in 2002, he received the first National Arts Centre Orchestra Composer Award. From a review of a National Arts Centre Orchestra performance of his Syllables of Unknown Meaning, "Kulesha's work illustrates with transparent delicacy how music from even as long ago as 1,000 years, can generate a complexly imagined and brilliantly executed palette of sound and texture that is unmistakeably modern."

COMPOSITIONS                                                            Kulesha Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre
Sonata, piano (1970)
3 Sonatinas, piano (1969-71)
Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1971)
Sonata, 2 pianos (1970-72)
The Sandbox [Albee], incidental music (1972)
Sonatina for Tuba and Piano (1972)
A Study in Time, tuba and piano (1972)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? [Albee], incidental music (1973)
The Green Apple Two-Step, tuba and piano (1973)
Divertimento, brass quintet (1973)
Stardrive (March in F), band (1974)
Variations on a Theme by Paganini, trumpet and piano (1974, rev. 1982)
Humoreske, tuba and piano (1974)
Burlesque, tuba and piano (1974)
Variations for Winds (1975)
Divertimento, string orchestra (1975)                                                                                            ~ top of page ~
...a film by... [film, Predovich], film score (1975)
Visions, tuba and piano (1975)
Three Lyric Pieces, recorder (or flute) and piano (or organ) (1975)
Sonata for Horn, Tuba and Piano (1975)
Concerto for Brass Quintet, Strings, and Piano, after Handel (1976)
Divertimento, band (1976)
Pawn's Play [film, Predovich], film score (1976)
Prelude and Fugue, trumpet and piano (1976)
Bohemian Dance, tuba and piano (1976)
Sonata, tuba and organ (1976)
Three Complacencies, bass clarinet and tuba (1976)
Essay for Orchestra (1977)
Duo for Bass Clarinet and Piano (1977)
Divertimento, brass quartet (or quintet) (1977)
Overture, band (1977, rev. 1983)
3 Caprices, violin (1977-78)
Monument, piano 4-hands (1978)
Aphorisms, piano (1978)
Sonata for Trumpet, Tuba and Piano (1978)
2 Songs on texts by Emily Dickinson, chorus (1973; 1979)
Ensembles for Winds (1979)
March in B Flat, band (1979)
Concertino for Flute and Wind Ensemble (1979)
Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano (1979)
Concertante Music, soprano saxophone and woodwind quintet (1979)
Suite for Two Trumpets, "The Grand Canyon" (1979)
Love Songs, voice and piano (1980)
Second Sonata, piano (1980)
Attitudes, clarinet and piano (1980)
Secrets, flute and piano (1980)                                                                                                        ~ top of page ~
Song and Dance, violin and piano (1980)
Mysterium Coniunctionis, clarinet, bass clarinet and piano (1980)
Divertimento for Brass Trio (1980)
Two Pieces for Brass Quintet (1980)
Concerto for Tuba, tuba and band (1978-81) [also arr. with orchestra or piano 4-hands]
First Chamber Concerto, ww octet, brass quintet and percussion (1981)
Invocation and Ceremony, saxophone (1981)
Nocturne and Toccata, piano and percussion (1981)
Passacaglia Cadenzas and Finale, trumpet, tuba and piano (1981)
Suite for Percussion Quartet (1981)
Encore and Reggae, marimba and tuba (1981)
Second Suite for Two Trumpets, "Pike's Peak" (1981)
Second Chamber Concerto for Solo Trumpet, Solo Piano and Wind Ensemble (1982)
Capriccio, string quartet (1982)
Festival Dances, accordion, viola, cello, bass and percussion (1982)
Pentagram, 5 trumpets (1982)
Canticles, brass quintet and organ (1982)
Two Pieces, band (1983) [educational]
Third Chamber Concerto for Bass Clarinet concertante, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons and 2 Horns (1983)
Angels, marimba and tape (1983)
Piece, tuba and piano (1983)
A Midsummer Night's Dream [Shakespeare], incidental music (1982, 1984)
Second Essay for Orchestra (1984)
The Merchant of Venice [Shakespeare], incidental music (1984)
A Streetcar Named Desire [Williams], incidental music (1984)
Fanfare for 10 Trumpets for Queen Elizabeth (1984)
Jazz Music, brass quintet, piano and marimba (1984)
Celebration Overture, orchestra (1985)
Nocturne for Chamber Orchestra (1985)
Serenade, string orchestra (1985)
Lifesongs, alto and string orchestra (1985)
Measure for Measure [Shakespeare], incidental music (1985)                                               ~ top of page ~
The Glass Menagerie [Williams], incidental music (1985)
The Emperor of Ice Cream, clarinet quartet (rev. 1985)
Soundings for Brass (1985) [quintet or quintet + quartet; designed for spatial placements]
All's Well That Ends Well [Shakespeare], incidental music (1982, 1986)
Complex, electric bass and tape (1986)
Henry VIII [Shakespeare], incidental music (1986)
Third Sonata, piano (1986)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (1986/87)
Journey Into Sunrise, saxophone quintet and orchestra (1987)
Night Music, voice and piano (1987)
Nora [Ibsen/Bergman], incidental music (1987)
Three Men On A Horse, incidental music (1987)
Mythologies, 2 pianos (1987)
Political Implications, clarinet quartet (1987)
Demons, tuba and tape (1987-88)
Dreams, orchestra (1988)
The Drift of Stars, orchestra and children's chorus (1988)
Snake, bass-baritone and chamber ensemble (1988)
Ghosts, bass clarinet, piano or vibraphone, tape, and live electronics (1988)
Fourth Chamber Concerto for Brass and Percussion Concertante, Woodwinds and Strings (1988-89)
Concerto for Marimba, Bass Clarinet, and Small Orchestra (1989)
4 Canadian Folk Songs, voice and saxophone quintet (1989)
Toccata, solo percussion and tape (1989)
"I saw how strangely the planets gathered...", chamber ensemble (1989)
The Midnight Road (Third Essay for Orchestra) (1990)
Shaman Songs, chorus, clarinet and string quartet (1990)
Fifth Chamber Concerto for Solo Oboe and Thirteen Players (1990-91)
The Gates of Time, orchestra (1991)
Concerto for Recorder and Small Orchestra (1991)
Wild Swans, chorus, harp, piano, marimba and cello (1991)
You Are Not Alone [film, Allan], film score (1991)
Fantasia Quasi Una Sonata, violin and piano (1991)
Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano (1991)                                                                                            ~ top of page ~
Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra (1992)
A Book of Mirrors, 2 pianos and percussion (1992)
6 Bagatelles "from the Devil's Dictionary", woodwind quintet (1971-93)
Concertante Dances, chamber orchestra (1993)
The Bacchae [Euripides], incidental music (1993)
"...and dark time flowed by her like a river...", violin or viola or cello and piano (1993)
Two Pieces, piano (1994)
Masks, recorder and guitar (1994)
Red Emma, opera (1986-95)
Conceits, solo recorder (1995)
Sinfonia for Brass Band, Piano and Harp (1995)
Pro et Contra, violin and cello (1995)
Four Fantastic Landscapes, piano (1996)
Quintet-Sonata, marimba and string quartet (1996)
Symphony (1997)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1998)
Concerto for Accordion and Brass Band (1998)
Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Vibraphone, Piano, Violin and Cello (1998)
The True Colour of the Sky, orchestra (1999)
Partita for Piano and String Orchestra (1999)
The Last Duel, opera (1999-2000)
Syllables of Unknown Meaning, orchestra (2000)
Blue Heron on Old Mill Bridge, soprano and piano (2000)
Trio No. 2 for Violin, Piano and Cello (2000-2001)
Concerto for Strings, Harp, and Percussion (2001)
The Rose, orchestra (2002) [companion piece to Syllables of Unknown Meaning]
Second Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (2002)                                                    ~ top of page ~
Give Us Peace, double chorus (2002)
Sixth Chamber Concerto for Oboe, English Horn, Basson, Contrabassoon, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, and Bass (2002)
Night Watch, chorus and clarinet (2003)
Variations on a Theme by Benjamin Britten, 2 violins, viola, cello and piano (2003)
Cages, solo percussion and tape (2004)
Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano (2004)
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (2005)
Fireworks and Procession, orchestra (2005)
The Boughs of Music, trumpet and orchestra (2005)
Without Fanfare, trumpets (2006)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (2006)
Invocation and Ceremony, alto saxophone and string trio (2007)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (2007)
Fugue and Postlude, piano (2007)
Concerto for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, with Brass Band (2008)
The Greatness of the New Found Night, wind ensemble (2008)
Sonatine Pour Orgue (Organ) (2008)
Darkness Comes, voice and piano (2009)


WORKS BY GENRE                                                            Kulesha Links     ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Red Emma, opera (1986-95)
The Last Duel, opera (1999-2000)

Orchestra
Divertimento, string orchestra (1975)
Concerto for Brass Quintet, Strings, and Piano, after Handel (1976)
Essay for Orchestra (1977)
Second Essay for Orchestra (1984)
Celebration Overture, orchestra (1985)
Nocturne for Chamber Orchestra (1985)
Serenade, string orchestra (1985)
Dreams, orchestra (1988)
The Midnight Road (Third Essay for Orchestra) (1990)
The Gates of Time, orchestra (1991)
Concertante Dances, chamber orchestra (1993)
Symphony, 2 conductors and orchestra (1997)
The True Colour of the Sky, orchestra (1999)
Syllables of Unknown Meaning, orchestra (2000)
The Rose, orchestra (2002) [companion piece to Syllables of Unknown Meaning]
Symphony No. 2, orchestra (2005)
Fireworks and Procession, orchestra (2005)
The Boughs of Music, trumpet and orchestra (2005)
Symphony No. 3, orchestra (2007)

Band
Stardrive (March in F), band (1974)
Variations for Winds (1975)
Divertimento, band (1976)
Overture, band (1977, rev. 1983)
Ensembles for Winds (1979)
March in B Flat, band (1979)
Two Pieces, band (1983) [educational]
The Greatness of the New Found Night, wind ensemble (2008)

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra or Band
Concerto for Tuba, tuba and band (1978-81) [also arr. with orchestra or piano 4-hands]
Concertino for Flute and Wind Ensemble (1979)
Second Chamber Concerto for Solo Trumpet, Solo Piano and Wind Ensemble (1982)
Journey Into Sunrise, saxophone quintet and orchestra (1987)                                               ~ top of page ~
Concerto for Marimba, Bass Clarinet, and Small Orchestra (1989)
Concerto for Recorder and Small Orchestra (1991)
Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra (1992)
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1998)
Concerto for Accordion and Brass Band (1998)
Partita for Piano and String Orchestra (1999)
Concerto for Strings, Harp, and Percussion (2001)
Second Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (2002)
The Boughs of Music, trumpet and orchestra (2005)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (2006)
Concerto for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, with Brass Band (2008)

Chorus w/Orchestra
The Drift of Stars, orchestra and children's chorus (1988)
Crossings, children's choir and orchestra (1997)

Choral
2 Songs on texts by Emily Dickinson, chorus (1973; 1979)
Shaman Songs, chorus, clarinet and string quartet (1990)
Wild Swans, chorus, harp, piano, marimba and cello (1991)
Give Us Peace, double chorus (2002)
Night Watch, chorus and clarinet (2003)

Chamber Concertos
First Chamber Concerto, ww octet, brass quintet and percussion (1981)
Second Chamber Concerto for Solo Trumpet, Solo Piano and Wind Ensemble (1982)
Third Chamber Concerto for Bass Clarinet concertante, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons and 2 Horns (1983)
Fourth Chamber Concerto for Brass and Percussion Concertante, Woodwinds and Strings (1988-89)
Fifth Chamber Concerto for Solo Oboe and Thirteen Players (1990-91)
Sixth Chamber Concerto for Oboe, English Horn, Basson, Contrabassoon, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, and Bass (2002)
                                                                                                                                                                 ~ top of page ~
Chamber
Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1971)
Divertimento, brass quintet (1973)
Sonata for Horn, Tuba and Piano (1975)
Three Complacencies, bass clarinet and tuba (1976)
Duo for Bass Clarinet and Piano (1977)
Divertimento, brass quartet (or quintet) (1977)
Sonata for Trumpet, Tuba and Piano (1978)
Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano (1979)
Concertante Music, soprano saxophone and woodwind quintet (1979)
Suite for Two Trumpets, "The Grand Canyon" (1979)
Mysterium Coniunctionis, clarinet, bass clarinet and piano (1980)
Divertimento for Brass Trio (1980)
Two Pieces for Brass Quintet (1980)
Nocturne and Toccata, piano and percussion (1981)
Passacaglia Cadenzas and Finale, trumpet, tuba and piano (1981)
Suite for Percussion Quartet (1981)
Encore and Reggae, marimba and tuba (1981)
Second Suite for Two Trumpets, "Pike's Peak" (1981)
Capriccio, string quartet (1982)
Festival Dances, accordion, viola, cello, bass and percussion (1982)
Pentagram, 5 trumpets (1982)
Canticles, brass quintet and organ (1982)
Fanfare for 10 Trumpets for Queen Elizabeth (1984)
Jazz Music, brass quintet, piano and marimba (1984)
The Emperor of Ice Cream, clarinet quartet (rev. 1985)
Soundings for Brass (1985) [quintet or quintet + quartet; designed for spatial placements]
Political Implications, clarinet quartet (1987)
Ghosts, bass clarinet, piano or vibraphone, tape, and live electronics (1988)                     ~ top of page ~
"I saw how strangely the planets gathered...", chamber ensemble (1989)
Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano (1991)
A Book of Mirrors, 2 pianos and percussion (1992)
6 Bagatelles "from the Devil's Dictionary", woodwind quintet (1971-93)
Masks, recorder and guitar (1994)
Sinfonia for Brass Band, Piano and Harp (1995)
Pro et Contra, violin and cello (1995)
Quintet-Sonata, marimba and string quartet (1996)
Sextet for Flute, Oboe, Vibraphone, Piano, Violin and Cello (1998)
Trio No. 2 for Violin, Piano and Cello (2000-2001)
Variations on a Theme by Benjamin Britten, 2 violins, viola, cello and piano (2003)
Trio for Horn, Violin and Piano (2004)
Without Fanfare, trumpets (2006)
Invocation and Ceremony, alto saxophone and string trio (2007)

Solo Instrument
Sonatina for Tuba and Piano (1972)
A Study in Time, tuba and piano (1972)
The Green Apple Two-Step, tuba and piano (1973)
Variations on a Theme by Paganini, trumpet and piano (1974, rev. 1982)
Humoreske, tuba and piano (1974)
Burlesque, tuba and piano (1974)
Visions, tuba and piano (1975)
Three Lyric Pieces, recorder (or flute) and piano (or organ) (1975)
Prelude and Fugue, trumpet and piano (1976)
Bohemian Dance, tuba and piano (1976)
Sonata, tuba and organ (1976)
3 Caprices, violin (1977-78)
Attitudes, clarinet and piano (1980)
Secrets, flute and piano (1980)
Song and Dance, violin and piano (1980)
Invocation and Ceremony, saxophone (1981)
Piece, tuba and piano (1983)                                                                                                           ~ top of page ~
Angels, marimba and tape (1983)
Complex, electric bass and tape (1986)
Sonata for Cello and Piano (1986/87)
Demons, tuba and tape (1987-88)
Toccata, solo percussion and tape (1989)
Fantasia Quasi Una Sonata, violin and piano (1991)
"...and dark time flowed by her like a river...", violin or viola or cello and piano (1993)
Conceits, solo recorder (1995)
Cages, solo percussion and tape (2004)

Piano/Organ
Sonata, piano (1970)
3 Sonatinas, piano (1969-71)
Sonata, 2 pianos (1970-72)
Monument, piano 4-hands (1978)
Aphorisms, piano (1978)
Second Sonata, piano (1980)
Third Sonata, piano (1986)
Mythologies, 2 pianos (1987)
Two Pieces, piano (1994)
Four Fantastic Landscapes, piano (1996)
Fugue and Postlude, piano (2007)
Sonatine Pour Orgue (Organ) (2008)

Vocal
Love Songs, voice and piano (1980; rev. for voice and  brass, 2007)
Lifesongs, alto and string orchestra (1985)
Night Music, voice and piano (1987)
Snake, bass-baritone and chamber ensemble (1988)
4 Canadian Folk Songs, voice and saxophone quintet (1989)
Blue Heron on Old Mill Bridge, soprano and piano (2000)
Darkness Comes, voice and piano (2009)

Incidental/Film
The Sandbox [Albee], incidental music (1972)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? [Albee], incidental music (1973)
...a film by... [film, Predovich], film score (1975)
Pawn's Play [film, Predovich], film score (1976)
All's Well That Ends Well [Shakespeare], incidental music (1982, 1986)
A Midsummer Night's Dream [Shakespeare], incidental music (1982, 1984)
The Merchant of Venice [Shakespeare], incidental music (1984)
A Streetcar Named Desire [Williams], incidental music (1984)
Measure for Measure [Shakespeare], incidental music (1985)                                               ~ top of page ~
The Glass Menagerie [Williams], incidental music (1985)
Henry VIII [Shakespeare], incidental music (1986)
Nora [Ibsen/Bergman], incidental music (1987)
Three Men On A Horse, incidental music (1987)
You Are Not Alone [film, Allan], film score (1991)
The Bacchae [Euripides], incidental music (1993)

Electronic
Angels, marimba and tape (1983)
Complex, electric bass and tape (1986)
Demons, tuba and tape (1987-88)
Ghosts, bass clarinet, piano or vibraphone, tape, and live electronics (1988)
Toccata, solo percussion and tape (1989)
Cages, solo percussion and tape (2004)


KULESHA  LINKS                                                            Works by Genre      ~ top of page ~
Beat the Mid-Life Blahs: Write a Symphony (Leonard Turnevicius, The Hamilton Spectator)
Canadians in Mid-Air (Paul Wells, Macleans.ca)
Gary Kulesha, National Arts Centre Award Composer - Interview (artsvivants.ca)
High Art or Trend and Trade? Some Thoughts on Future Music Studies in Canada (Gary Kulesha, Ecclectica Music)
Kulesha Symphony 'Ingenious and Attractive' (Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen)
Music Rules Composer Gary Kulesha’s World (Olena Wawryshyn, infoukes.com)
Red Emma - An Opera by Gary Kulesha (R.A. Forum)
Rolston Finds New Cello Love (Alexander Varty, straight.com)
Sublimating Ontario History: Gary Kulesha's new opera (Jiri Smrz, Discourses in Music)
The Symphonic Alchemist: Composer Gary Kulesha Transforms Human Experience Into Music (Robert Rival, SOCAN)
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra - Kulesha's Symphony

Composer's website

Kulesha @ Wikipedia
Kulesha @ Analekta
Kulesha @ ArtsAlive.ca
Kulesha @ Arts Alive/NAC musicbox TIMELINE    also    here    and    here
Kulesha @ The Banff Centre
Kulesha @ Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop
Kulesha @ The Canadian Encyclopedia
Kulesha @ Canadian Music Centre
Kulesha @ Connections in Brass
Kulesha @ geocities.com
Kulesha @ International Double Reed Society
Kulesha @ IRCAM
Kulesha @ L'Orchestre de chambre de Montreal
Kulesha @ National Arts Centre (of Canada)
Kulesha @ Naxos
Kulesha @ The New York Times
Kulesha @ Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Kulesha @ Toronto Wind Orchestra
Kulesha @ University of Toronto

Streaming Audio
Kulesha @ Arts Alive/NAC musicbox TIMELINE    also    here    and    here
Kulesha @ CBC Radio 2 - Concerts on Demand    also     here
Kulesha @ NACOcast (National Arts Centre of Canada in Ontario), with Chris Millard     -    Part I    and    Part II

Recordings
Kulesha @ Classicsonline
Kulesha @ ArkivMusic

Kulesha @ YouTube [none at the moment]                                                       ~ top of page ~
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