Melinda Wagner (1957- )
Melinda
Wagner was born in Philadelphia and received graduate degrees in Music
Composition from the University of Chicago and the University of
Pennsylvania. Her teachers included Richard Wernick, George Crumb,
Shulamit Ran, and Jay Reise. Wagner's Concerto for Flute, Strings, and
Percussion was awarded the 1999 Pulitzer Prize. The
Chicago Symphony
has commissioned three major works - Falling Angels (1992);
a
piano concerto, Extremity
of Sky (2002) for Emanuel Ax; and a third
orchestra work in 2006. Extremity
of Sky has also been performed by
Emanuel Ax with the National Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the Kansas
City Symphony, and the Staatskapelle Berlin. Other commissions have
come from the New York Philharmonic (a concerto for principal
trombonist Joseph Alessi), from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln
Center, the Barlow, Fromm, and Koussevitzky Foundations, the American
Brass Quintet, and from guitarist David Starobin. Wagner is the
recipient of a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, an award from
the American Academy of Arts and Letters, an honorary degree from
Hamilton College, and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University
of Pennsylvania. Other performances have come from the Dallas Symphony,
the American Composers Orchestra, the Women's Philharmonic, the New
York Pops, and the US Marine Band. Melinda Wagner has taught at the
University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, Syracuse University,
and Hunter College. She has lectured at many schools including Yale,
Cornell, Juilliard, and Mannes. Wagner has served as
Composer-in-Residence at the University of Texas (Austin) and at the
Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.- ASCAP
COMPOSITIONS Melinda Wagner Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner
Duet for Violin and Violoncello (1978)
Circles, Stone, and Passage, song-cycle, mezzo-soprano and instrumental ensemble (1981)
Passages, orchestra (1985)
The Children, piano (1988)
Sextet, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano (1989)
Falling Angels, a poem for orchestra (1992)
Ancient Music, chorus (1994)
Thinking About the Moon (two little pieces), flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1995)
Wing and Prayer, clarinet, cello, piano and percussion (1996)
Sleep Awake (2 songs), mezzo-soprano, clarinet and piano (pub. 1996)
Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion in Three Movements (1998) [winner of 1999 Pulitzer Prize]
Arabesque, guitar (1999)
Tintinnabulum, piano (1999)
Brass Quintet No. 1 (2000)
Wick, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (2000)
Extremity of Sky (concerto), piano and orchestra (2002)
57/7 Dash Overture, percussion, timpani and orchestra (2003) [also arr. w/band]
Romanze with Faux Variations, violin, cello and piano (2003)
From a Book of Early Prayers, chorus (2004)
Four Settings for Soprano and Ensemble (fl, cl, vln, va, vc, db and pf) (2004)
Whirl's End, string orchestra, harp, strummed piano and percussion (2005)
Concertino for Harpsichord and String Quintet (2005)
Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (2006)
Scamp, wind ensemble (2008) [commissioned by the United States Marine Band]
Little Moonhead (Three Tributaries - inspired by Brandenburg No. 4) solo violin, 2 flutes, harpschd, celesta & string orch (2008)
Pan Journal Quintet, harp and string quartet (2009)
Scritch, oboe and string quartet (2010)
WORKS BY GENRE Melinda Wagner Links ~ ~ ~ Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner ~ top of page ~
Orchestra
Passages, orchestra (1985)
Falling Angels, a poem for orchestra (1992)
57/7 Dash Overture, percussion, timpani and orchestra (2003) [also arr. w/band]
Whirl's End, string orchestra, harp, strummed piano and percussion (2005)
Band
57/7 Dash Overture, percussion, timpani and band (2003) [originally for orchestra]
Scamp, wind ensemble (2008) [commissioned by the United States Marine Band]
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion in Three Movements (1998) [winner of 1999 Pulitzer Prize]
Extremity of Sky (concerto), piano and orchestra (2002)
Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra (2006)
Little Moonhead (Three Tributaries - inspired by Brandenburg No. 4) solo violin, 2 flutes, harpschd, celesta & string orch (2008)
Choral
Ancient Music, chorus (1994)
From a Book of Early Prayers, chorus (2004)
Chamber
Duet for Violin and Violoncello (1978)
Sextet, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano (1989)
Thinking About the Moon (two little pieces), flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1995)
Wing and Prayer, clarinet, cello, piano and percussion (1996)
Brass Quintet No. 1 (2000)
Wick, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion (2000)
Romanze with Faux Variations, violin, cello and piano (2003)
Concertino for Harpsichord and String Quintet (2005)
Pan Journal Quintet, harp and string quartet (2009)
Scritch, oboe and string quartet (2010)
Solo Instrument
Arabesque, guitar (1999)
Piano
The Children, piano (1988)
Tintinnabulum, piano (1999)
Vocal
Circles, Stone, and Passage, song-cycle, mezzo-soprano and instrumental ensemble (1981)
Sleep Awake (2 songs), mezzo-soprano, clarinet and piano (pub. 1996)
- Morpheus
- Awake
Four Settings for Soprano and Ensemble (fl, cl, vln, va, vc, db and pf) (2004)
- Last Poem [text: Robert Desnos, translated by X.J. Kennedy]
- The Wings [text: Denise Levertov]
- Safe in Their Alabaster Chambers [text: Emily Dickinson]
- Wild Nights --Wild Nights! [text: Emily Dickinson]
MELINDA WAGNER LINKS Works by Genre ~ ~ ~ Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner ~ top of page ~
A Bond Between Composer and Performer (B.L.C., New Music Connoisseur)
Her Own Voice (Chester Lane, Westchester Philharmonic)
In Their Own Words: Composer Melinda Wagner and Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (Aaron Grad, Playbill Arts)
Pulitzer-Winning Grad Plugs Following Instinct (Gideon Cohn, The Daily Pennsylvanian)
There's No Time Like The Present (Mic Holwin, American Composers Orchestra)
Composer website (at Theodore Presser) . . . contact Melinda Wagner: here
Melinda Wagner @ Wikipedia
Melinda Wagner @ American Composers Orchestra also here
Melinda Wagner @ American Music Center
Melinda Wagner @ Art of the States
Melinda Wagner @ ASCAP
Melinda Wagner @ Brandeis University
Melinda Wagner @ Classical Archives
Melinda Wagner @ Classical Net
Melinda Wagner @ Classical.com
Melinda Wagner @ ClassicsToday
Melinda Wagner @ composition:today
Melinda Wagner @ The Detritus Review
Melinda Wagner @ EarShot/Mentor Composers
Melinda Wagner @ Dr. Estrella's Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of Composers
Melinda Wagner @ Facebook
Melinda Wagner @ The Harbinger
Melinda Wagner @ InstantEncore
Melinda Wagner @ The Kennedy Center
Melinda Wagner @ Koussevitzky Music Foundation 2001 Commission Winners
Melinda Wagner @ Monadnock Music
Melinda Wagner @ MusicWeb International
Melinda Wagner @ NewMusicBox also here
Melinda Wagner @ New York Philharmonic
Melinda Wagner @ The New York Times
Melinda Wagner @ Orpheus Chamber Orchestra also here
Melinda Wagner @ The Pulitzer Prizes
Melinda Wagner @ Splendid
Melinda Wagner @ University of Pennsylvania
Melinda Wagner @ The Walden School
Melinda Wagner @ Wind Repertory Project
Publisher
Melinda Wagner @ Theodore Presser
Streaming Audio
Melinda Wagner @ Art of the States
Melinda Wagner @ Classical Archives
Melinda Wagner @ NPR
Melinda Wagner @ Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Melinda Wagner @ PBS NewsHour
Recordings
Melinda Wagner @ ArkivMusic
Melinda Wagner @ ClassicsOnline
Melinda Wagner @ Naxos
Video
Melinda Wagner @ YouTube
Melinda Wagner @ Google Video
Melinda Wagner @ Vimeo
~ top of page ~
Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner: On Composing for Orchestra (VIDEO)
Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner: On Listening (VIDEO)
Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner: On Carnegie Hall Premieres (VIDEO)
Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner: Pulitzer Prize/PBS NewsHour (streaming audio)
Composers
Speak on the Web at Pytheas~ click on composer picture to listen ~
Melinda Wagner on Melinda Wagner: How the Pulitzer Has Changed Her Life (streaming audio)
Composers
Speak on the Web at Pytheas~ click on composer picture to listen ~
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