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Christopher Theofanidis (1967-     )

Christopher Theofanidis, composerChristopher Theofanidis has had performances by many leading orchestras from around the world, including the London Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Moscow Soloists, the National, Atlanta, Baltimore, St. Louis, Detroit Symphonies, and many others. He also served as Composer of the Year for the Pittsburgh Symphony during their 2006-2007 Season, for which he wrote a violin concerto for Sarah Chang. Theofanidis holds degrees from Yale, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Houston, and has been the recipient of the International Masterprize (hosted at the Barbican Centre in London), the Rome Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, six ASCAP Gould Prizes, a Fulbright Fellowship to France, a Tanglewood Fellowhship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Charles Ives Fellowship. In 2007 he was nominated for a Grammy for best composition for his chorus and orchestra work, The Here and Now, based on the poetry of Rumi. His orchestral concert work, Rainbow Body, has been one of the most performed new orchestral works of the last ten years, having been performed by over 100 orchestras internationally. Theofanidis has recently written a ballet for the American Ballet Theatre, a work for the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra as part of their New Brandenburg series, and he currently has two opera commissions for the San Francisco and Houston Grand Opera companies. He has a long-standing relationship with the Atlanta Symphony, and has just had his first symphony premiered and recorded with that orchestra. He has served as a delegate to the US-Japan Foundation's Leadership Program and is a former faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory and the Juilliard School. He currently teaches at Yale University.

COMPOSITIONS                                   Theofanidis Links     ~ ~ ~     Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Theofanidis on Theofanidis
Fantasy for Two Pianos (1988)
Suite for Flute and Piano (1989)
I Corinthians 13, chorus, brass ensemble and organ (1990)
String Quartet No. 1 (1990)
Disruption, orchestra (1991)
The Discovery, orchestra (1992) [from the film "Discovery Independence"]
Raga, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and 2 percussionists (1992)
Sikelianos, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, congas (2 players) and percussion (1992)
Statues, 5 episodes, piano (1992)
Voices, song cycle (3 songs), soprano and orchestra (1992)
The Prayer of Saint Francis, chorus (1994)
Saxophone Concerto, alto saxophone and orchestra (1994)
Kaoru, 2 flutes (1994)
This dream, strange and moving, orchestra (1995)
Ariel Ascending, string quartet (1995)
As Dancing is to Architecture, orchestra (1996)
Etenraku, woodwinds, piano, percussion (1996)
Bassoon Concerto, bassoon and chamber orchestra (1997/2002)
Flow, My Tears, solo violin (or viola; or cello) (1997)
Flourishes, orchestra and antiphonal brass (1998)
Song of Elos, soprano, string quartet and piano (1999)
Rainbow Body, orchestra (2000)
O Vis Aeternitatis, string quartet and piano (2000)
The Invention of Music, opera (2001) [after Sophocles Satyr Play, "The Ichneutiae"; libretto: William M. Hoffman]
The Thirteen Clocks, an opera in 2 acts (2002) [libretto: Peter Webster; based on the James Thurber story]
Visions and Miracles (3 pieces), string quartet or string orchestra (2002)
    - Peace, Love, Light YOUMEONE, string orchestra (2002)
Artemis, ballet (2003)
Viola Concerto, viola and chamber orchestra (2003)
I wander the world in a dream of my own making, wind ensemble (2005)
The Here and Nows, soloists, chorus and wind ensemble (2005)
Piano Concerto, piano and chamber orchestra (2006)
The world is aflame, violin and cello (2006)
All dreams begin with the horizon, piano (2006)
The Refuge, opera/oratorio (2007) [libretto: Leah Lax]
Muse, string orchestra and harpsichord (2007)
Messages to Myself (4 pieces), double chorus (2007)
Rex Tremendae Majestatis, solo organ, brass and percussion (2008)
Violin Concerto, violin and orchestra (2008)
    - Fantasy, violin and piano (2008/2009) [this is the 2nd mvt of Theofanidis' Violin Concerto]
Radiant Mind (2009)
Symphony, orchestra (2009)
Cello Concerto, cello and orchestra (2009)
Summer Verses, violin and cello (2009)
Heart of a Soldier, opera (2011) [libretto: Donna Di Novelli]
Siddhartha, opera (in progress; due 2013) [libretto: Patrick Summers, based on the novel by Hermann Hesse]


WORKS BY GENRE                              Theofanidis Links    ~ ~ ~    Theofanidis on Theofanidis     ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Invention of Music, opera (2001) [after Sophocles Satyr Play, "The Ichneutiae"; libretto: William M. Hoffman]
The Thirteen Clocks, an opera in 2 acts (2002) [libretto: Peter Webster; based on the James Thurber story]
Artemis, ballet (2003)
The Refuge, opera/oratorio (2007) [libretto: Leah Lax]
Heart of a Soldier, opera (2011) [libretto: Donna Di Novelli]
Siddhartha, opera (in progress; due 2013) [libretto: Patrick Summers, based on the novel by Hermann Hesse]

Orchestra
Disruption, orchestra (1991)
The Discovery, orchestra (1992) [from the film "Discovery Independence"]
This dream, strange and moving, orchestra (1995)
As Dancing is to Architecture, orchestra (1996)
Flourishes, orchestra and antiphonal brass (1998)
Rainbow Body, orchestra (2000)
Visions and Miracles, string quartet or string orchestra (2002)
    - All joy wills eternity
    - Peace Love Light YOUMEONE
    - I add brilliance to the sun
Peace, Love, Light YOUMEONE, string orchestra (2002)
Muse, string orchestra and harpsichord (2007)
Rex Tremendae Majestatis, solo organ, brass and percussion (2008)
Radiant Mind (2009)
Symphony, orchestra (2009)

Band
Etenraku, woodwinds, piano, percussion (1996)
I wander the world in a dream of my own making, wind ensemble (2005)
Rex Tremendae Majestatis, solo organ, brass and percussion (2008)
The Here and Now, soloists, chorus and orchestra or wind ensemble (2005)

Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Saxophone Concerto, alto saxophone and orchestra (1994)
Bassoon Concerto, bassoon and chamber orchestra (1997/2002)
Viola Concerto, viola and chamber orchestra (2003)
Piano Concerto, piano and chamber orchestra (2006)
Rex Tremendae Majestatis, solo organ, brass and percussion (2008)
Violin Concerto, violin and orchestra (2008)
Cello Concerto, cello and orchestra (2009)

Chorus w/Orchestra
The Here and Now, soloists, chorus and orchestra or wind ensemble (2005)
    - Inside this new love, die
    - Is the one I love everywhere?
    - The sound of the resurrection
    - All day and night, music
    - Narrative I: The value of our souls
    - Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you
    - The one who pours is wilder than we
    - Narrative II: Three kinds of women
    - Drumsound rises
    - Spreading radiance
    - Narrative III: Insomnia
    - The urgency of love
    - The music of our final meeting
The Refuge, opera/oratorio (2007)
    - Prologue
    - Africa A
    - Africa B
    - Vietnam A
    - Vietnam B (South Vietnamese National Anthem)
    - Mexico
    - Pakistan
    - India
    - Soviet-Era Jewish
    - Central America

Choral
I Corinthians 13, chorus, brass ensemble and organ (1990)
The Prayer of Saint Francis, chorus (1994)
Messages to Myself (4 pieces), double chorus (2007)
    - Whitman
    - Rumi
    - Kirsten
    - Yeats

Chamber
Suite for Flute and Piano (1989)
String Quartet No. 1 (1990)
Sikelianos, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, congas (2 players) and percussion (1992)
Raga, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and 2 percussionists (1992)
Kaoru, 2 flutes (1994)
Ariel Ascending, string quartet (1995)
Visions and Miracles, string quartet or string orchestra (1997)
O Vis Aeternitatis, string quartet and piano (2000)
The world is aflame, violin and cello (2006)
Fantasy, violin and piano (2008/2009) [this is the 2nd mvt of Theofanidis' Violin Concerto]
Summer Verses, violin and cello (2009)

Solo Instrument
Flow, My Tears, solo violin (or viola; or cello) (1997)

Piano
Fantasy for Two Pianos (1988)
Statues, 5 episodes, piano (1992)
    - Partial Symmetries
    - Eros
    - Unstuck Sound
    - Visigoth
    - Bard
All dreams begin with the horizon, piano (2006)

Vocal
Voices, song cycle (3 songs), soprano and orchestra (1992)
    - Emily Dickinson
    - Ezra Pound
    - Adriennne RichVoices, song cycle for soprano & orchestra
Song of Elos, soprano, string quartet and piano (1999)

Film
Discovery Independence, film score (1992) [excerpts for orchestra, "The Discovery"]


THEOFANIDIS  LINKS                      Works by Genre    ~ ~ ~    Theofanidis on Theofanidis      ~ top of page ~
Christopher Theofanidis' "Heart Of A Soldier" (Tom Huizenga, NPR)
Getting to Know the Composer Christopher Theofanidis (Stephen Smoliar, SF Classical Music Examiner )
"Heart of a Soldier" Creators Hope Opera’s Story Will Transcend 9/11 Particulars (Wynne Delacoma,The Classical Voice)
Interview with Christopher Theofanidis (Orpheus Chamber Orchestra/The New Brandenburgs)
Keeping Composed (Jim Morekis, Savannah Connect)
San Francisco Opera Tackles Contemporary Theme with "Heart of a Soldier" (Janos Gereben, SF Examiner)
SFist Interviews: "Heart of a Soldier" Composer Christopher Theofanidis (SFist.com)
Theofanidis' "Rainbow Body" Is a Hit with Orchestras (Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
To Honor the Fallen: A New Heroic Opera Takes Shape in San Francisco (Georgia Rowe, SF Classical Voice)

Composer's website    . . .   contact Christopher Theofanidis:  here

Theofanidis @ Wikipedia
Theofanidis @ American Composers Forum
Theofanidis @ Art of the States    also    here
Theofanidis @ Bay Area Reporter
Theofanidis @ Classical Archives
Theofanidis @ Classical Composers Database
Theofanidis @ Classical Net
Theofanidis @ ClassicsToday
Theofanidis @ composition:today
Theofanidis @ Don411.com
Theofanidis @ DRAM Online
Theofanidis @ Dream Artists Studio
Theofanidis @ Facebook
Theofanidis @ FanFaire
Theofanidis @ highSCORE Festival
Theofanidis @ InstantEncore
Theofanidis @ Lancaster Symphony Orchestra
Theofanidis @ Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Theofanidis @ Masterprize 2003
Theofanidis @ Music & Vision
Theofanidis @ MusicWeb International
Theofanidis @ Musica Sacra
Theofanidis @ The New York Times
Theofanidis @ NPRmusic
Theofanidis @ Opera America
Theofanidis @ Orpheus Chamber Orchestra/New Brandenburgs    also    here
Theofanidis @ Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Theofanidis @ San Francisco Opera
Theofanidis @ San Francisco Examiner
Theofanidis @ San Francisco Sentinel
Theofanidis @ Seen and Heard International
Theofanidis @ Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Theofanidis @ Tulsa Symphony Orchestra
Theofanidis @ Van Cliburn Foundation
Theofanidis @ Why Compose When You Can Blog?
Theofanidis @ WOSU
Theofanidis @ Yale School of Music
Theofanidis @ Young American Composer in Residence Program

Publisher
Theofanidis @ Composer's website
Theofanidis @ Opus 125 Publishing

Streaming Audio
Theofanidis @ Composer's website
Theofanidis @ Art of the States
Theofanidis @ ASCAP Audio Portraits
Theofanidis @ Classical Archives
Theofanidis @ last.fm
Theofanidis @ NPRmusic
Theofanidis @ Orpheus Chamber Orchestra/New Brandenburgs
Theofanidis @ Rhapsody.com
Theofanidis @ WQED
Theofanidis @ WQED/Interview

Recordings
Theofanidis @ Composer's website
Theofanidis @ Albany Records
Theofanidis @ Amazon.com
Theofanidis @ ArkivMusic
Theofanidis @ CD Universe
Theofanidis @ ClassicsOnline

Video
Theofanidis @ YouTube
Theofanidis @ Google Video
Theofanidis @ NewMusicBox/Interview

                                                                                                                                                                 ~ top of page ~
Theofanidis on Theofanidis: Interview/NewMusicBox (VIDEO)
Christopher Theodorakis, composerComposers Speak on the Web at Pytheas
                            ~ click on composer picture to listen ~







Theofanidis on Theofanidis: About Composer-Band Collaboration/BandQuest (VIDEO)







Theofanidis on Theofanidis: Interview KUHF's Chris Johnson/NPR (VIDEO)







Theofanidis on Theofanidis: Interview/Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (streaming audio)
Christopher Theodorakis, composerComposers Speak on the Web at Pytheas
                            ~ click on composer picture to listen ~







Theofanidis on Theofanidis: ASCAP Audio Portrait, with Jennifer Hidgon (streaming audio)
Christopher Theodorakis, composerComposers Speak on the Web at Pytheas
                            ~ click on composer picture to listen ~









. . . and check out more    Composers Speak on the Web    at Pytheas

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