Joan Tower (1938- )
Joan Tower is one of the most prominent American composers to emerge in
the latter part of the twentieth century. She initially made her mark
as a pianist, but began composing in the 1960s. She studied
piano at Bennington College, and took instruction in composition from
Louis Calabro and Henry Brant. She studied composition with Otto
Luening, Jack Beeson, and Vladimir Ussachevsky at Columbia University.
In 1969 she helped found the New York-based Da Capo Chamber
Players and served as the group's pianist. She also took on a faculty
post in composition at Bard College in 1972 and has remained there in
that capacity. Tower wrote a number of successful works for the Da Capo
Players over the years, and the group received several awards,
including a 1973 Naumberg Award. From 1985-88 she
was composer - in - residence with St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra. Beginning with the 1999-2000 season, Tower launched
a three-year stint as composer-in-residence with the Orchestra of St.
Luke's. In 2005 she accepted a commission for a work, Made in America,
to be played by 65 community orchestras spread across all 50 American
states. The piece was played by all the orchestras in their 2005-2006
seasons, and its recording by Leonard Slatkin and the Nashville
Symphony won three 2008 Grammy awards, in the fields of Best Classical
Album, Best Orchestral Performance, and Best Classical Contemporary
Composition. Her early music incorporated serial techniques, but in the
1970s, she
turned to a more approachable style, writing works with more lyrical
melodies, powerful rhythmic drive, and masterfully conceived
instrumentation; the rhythmic character of her 1993 ballet Stepping Stones has
been compared to that of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. In
1990 she became the first woman to win the highly prestigious
Grawemeyer Prize for her orchestral work, Silver Ladders.
Among her other significant works are Black Topaz, Petroushkates,
Sequoia, Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman,
Turning Points,
and Night
Fields.
- Robert Cummings/All Music Guide
COMPOSITIONS Tower Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Tower on Tower
Breakfast Rhythms I and II, clarinet solo, flute, percussion, violin, cello and piano (1974)
Black Topaz, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and 2 percussion (1976)
Platinum Spirals, violin (1976)
Amazon I, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1977)
Petroushkates, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1980)
Sequoia, orchestra (1981)
Wings, clarinet or alto saxophone (1981)
Noon Dance, flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and cello (1982)
Fantasy... Harbour Lights, clarinet and piano (1983)
Snow Dreams, flute and guitar (1983)
Music for Cello and Orchestra (1984)
Island Rhythms, chamber orchestra (1985)
Homage to Beethoven (Piano Concerto No. 1) (1985)
Clocks, guitar (1985)
Silver Ladders, orchestra (1986)
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, 11 brass and 3 percussion (1986)
Clarinet Concerto (1988)
Island Prelude, oboe and string orch/string quartet/quintet or wind quintet (1989)
Flute Concerto (1989)
Second Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, 11 brass and 3 percussion (1989)
Concerto for Orchestra (1991)
Third Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, brass dectet (1991)
For the Uncommon Woman, orchestra (1992)
Violin Concerto (1992)
Stepping Stones, ballet (1993) [choreographed by Kathryn Posin]
- Stepping Stones, orchestra (1993)
- Celebration Fanfare, band, or 11 brass and 3 percussion (1993)
Elegy, trombone and string quartet (1993)
Fifth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, 4 trumpets (1993)
Duets, chamber orchestra (1994)
Night Fields (String Quartet No. 1), string quartet (1994)
Très lent (Hommage à Messiaen), cello and piano (1994)
Or like a...an Engine, piano (1994) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
Turning Points, clarinet and string quartet (1995)
Paganini Trills, chamber orchestra (1996)
Rapids (Piano Concerto No. 2) (1996)
Valentine Trills, flute (1996)
Ascent, organ (1996)
Holding a Daisy, piano (1996) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
And...they're off, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (1997)
Rain Waves, violin, clarinet and piano (1997)
Toccanta, oboe and harpsichord (1997)
Tambor, orchestra (1998)
Wild Purple, viola (1998)
The Last Dance, chamber orchestra (2000)
Big Sky, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (2000)
Vast Antique Cubes, piano (2000) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
Throbbing Still, piano (2000) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
Fascinating Ribbons, band (2001)
Strike Zones, percussion and orchestra (2001)
In Memory, string orchestra (2002)
In Memory (String Quartet No. 2), string quartet (2002)
Incandescent (String Quartet No. 3), string quartet (2003)
Made in America, chamber orchestra (2004)
For Daniel, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (2004)
Purple Rhapsody, viola and chamber orchestra (2005)
DNA, percussion quintet (2005)
A Little Gift, flute and clarinet (2006)
Copperwave, brass quintet (2006)
Chamber Dance, chamber orchestra (2006)
Can I, female chorus and 2 percussion (2007)
A Littel Gift, flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano (2007)
Trio Cavany, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (2007)
Angels (String Quartet No. 4), string quartet (2008)
Dumbarton Quintet, piano and string quartet [piano quintet] (2008)
Simply Purple, viola (2008)
Rising, flute and string quartet (2009)
Ivory and Ebony, piano (2009)
Piano Quartet (2010)
For Marianne, flute (2010)
String Force, violin (2010)
WORKS BY GENRE Tower Links ~ ~ ~ Tower on Tower ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
Stepping Stones, ballet (1993) [choreographed by Kathryn Posin]
Orchestra
Sequoia, orchestra (1981)
Island Rhythms, chamber orchestra (1985)
Silver Ladders, orchestra (1986)
Concerto for Orchestra (1991)
For the Uncommon Woman, orchestra (1992)
Stepping Stones, orchestra (1993)
Duets, chamber orchestra (1994)
Paganini Trills, chamber orchestra (1996)
Tambor, orchestra (1998)
The Last Dance, chamber orchestra (2000)
In Memory, string orchestra (2002)
Made in America, chamber orchestra (2004)
Chamber Dance, chamber orchestra (2006)
Band
Celebration Fanfare, band (1993) [from ballet "Stepping Stones", 1993]
Fascinating Ribbons, band (2001)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Music for Cello and Orchestra (1984)
Homage to Beethoven (Piano Concerto No. 1) (1985)
Clarinet Concerto (1988)
Flute Concerto (1989)
Island Prelude, oboe and string orchestra (1989)
Violin Concerto (1992)
Rapids (Piano Concerto No. 2) (1996)
Strike Zones, percussion and orchestra (2001)
Purple Rhapsody, viola and chamber orchestra (2005)
Choral
Can I, female chorus and 2 percussion (2007)
Chamber
Breakfast Rhythms I and II, clarinet solo, flute, percussion, violin, cello and piano (1974)
Black Topaz, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone and 2 percussion (1976)
Amazon I, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1977)
Petroushkates, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1980)
Noon Dance, flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and cello (1982)
Fantasy... Harbour Lights, clarinet and piano (1983)
Snow Dreams, flute and guitar (1983)
Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, 11 brass and 3 percussion (1986)
Island Prelude, oboe and string quartet/quintet or wind quintet (1989)
Second Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, 11 brass and 3 percussion (1989)
Third Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, brass dectet (1991)
Celebration Fanfare, 11 brass and 3 percussion (1993) [from ballet "Stepping Stones", 1993]
Elegy, trombone and string quartet (1993)
Fifth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, 4 trumpets (1993)
Night Fields (String Quartet No. 1), string quartet (1994)
Très lent (Hommage à Messiaen), cello and piano (1994)
Turning Points, clarinet and string quartet (1995)
And...they're off, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (1997)
Rain Waves, violin, clarinet and piano (1997)
Toccanta, oboe and harpsichord (1997)
Big Sky, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (2000)
In Memory (String Quartet No. 2), string quartet (2002)
Incandescent (String Quartet No. 3), string quartet (2003)
For Daniel, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (2004)
DNA, percussion quintet (2005)
A Little Gift, flute and clarinet (2006)
Copperwave, brass quintet (2006)
A Littel Gift, flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn and piano (2007)
Trio Cavany, violin, cello and piano [piano trio] (2007) [originally called "Trio La Jolla"]
Angels (String Quartet No. 4), string quartet (2008)
Dumbarton Quintet, piano and string quartet [piano quintet] (2008)
Rising, flute and string quartet (2009)
Piano Quartet (2010)
Solo Instrument
Platinum Spirals, violin (1976)
Wings, clarinet or alto saxophone (1981)
Clocks, guitar (1985)
Valentine Trills, flute (1996)
Wild Purple, viola (1998)
Simply Purple, viola (2008)
For Marianne, flute (2010)
String Force, violin (2010)
Piano/Organ
Or like a...an Engine, piano (1994) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
Ascent, organ (1996)
Holding a Daisy, piano (1996) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
Vast Antique Cubes, piano (2000) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
Throbbing Still, piano (2000) [included in "No Longer Very Clear", pub. 2000] [title derived from poetry of John Ashbury]
Ivory and Ebony, piano (2009)
TOWER LINKS Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Tower on Tower ~ top of page ~
American Music Center Letter of Distinction Goes to Joan Tower (IAMIC)
Composer Joan Tower - A Conversation with Bruce Duffie (bruceduffie.com)
James Wierzbicki - Interviews with Joan Tower (James Wierzbcki)
Joan Tower and Ursula Oppens ( Jess Anderson, Isthmus)
Joan Tower Highlights Monumental PSO Season (Andrew Druckenbrod, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Joan Tower: Made in America - Joan Tower in Conversation with Frank J. Oteri (NewMusicBox)
Muir Quartet - "For Daniel" (Edward Reichel, Deseret News)
The Musical Language of Joan Tower (Laura Shouha, UNT Digital Library)
Oberlin Ensembles Celebrate Composer Joan Tower (Yvonne Gay, Oberlin Online)
Three Questions Before First Night: Joan Tower's Chamber Dance (Carson Cooman, Music & Vision)
Tower of Power (John Pitcher, Nashville Scene)
Composer website (@ G. Schirmer) . . . contact Joan Tower: tower@bard.edu
Tower @ Wikipedia
Tower @ American Composers Alliance
Tower @ American Composers Alliance/ACA Festival 2009
Tower @ Answers.com
Tower @ Art of the States
Tower @ Ballet Met Columbus/Stepping Stones
Tower @ Bard College
Tower @ BookRags/Encyclopedia of World Biography
Tower @ Classic Cat
Tower @ Classical Archives
Tower @ Classical Composers Database
Tower @ Classical Net
Tower @ ClassicsToday (via google)
Tower @ composition:today
Tower @ Contemporary Anthology of Music by Women (James R. Briscoe, Indiana Univ Pr, books.google.com)
Tower @ Del Sol Quartet
Tower @ Dilettante Music
Tower @ d'Notes
Tower @ DSO Kids (Dallas Symphony Orchestra)
Tower @ Ford Made in America
Tower @ Grawemeyer Awards
Tower @ InstantEncore
Tower @ Ithaca College/Enduring Masters
Tower @ Ithaca College Library
Tower @ The Kennedy Center
Tower @ Miller Theatre at Columbia University
Tower @ Music of the 21st Century/DePauw University also here
Tower @ MusicWeb International
Tower @ Naxos
Tower @ New World Records also here
Tower @ The New York Times
Tower @ W.W. Norton
Tower @ NPR/This I Believe - Joan Tower: Music Makes Me Come Alive
Tower @ NPRmusic
Tower @ Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Tower @ San Antonio International Piano Competition
Tower @ Wind Repertory Project
Tower @ World Summit 2009
Publisher
Tower @ G. Schirmer
Streaming Audio
Tower @ Classical Archives
Tower @ Internet Archive
Tower @ last.fm
Tower @ NewMusicBox/Joan Tower: Made in America - Joan Tower in Conversation with Frank J. Oteri
Tower @ W.W. Norton
Tower @ NPRmusic
Tower @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Tower @ Rhapsody
Recordings
Tower @ ArkivMusic
Tower @ ClassicsOnline
Tower @ Discogs
Tower @ G. Schirmer
Video
Tower @ YouTube
Tower @ Google Video
Tower @ Vimeo
~ top of page ~
Tower on Tower: Interview (La Jolla Music Society) (VIDEO)
Tower on Tower: "Made in America" - About This Music (VIDEO)
Tower on Tower: "Made in America" - Why Made in America? (VIDEO)
Tower on Tower: "Made in America" - The Importance of New Music (VIDEO)
Tower on Tower: Joan Tower at Rowan University (VIDEO)
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