Composers of the day: November 08

COMPOSERS OF THE DAY:

NOVEMBER 08

GAYANE CEBOTARYAN - RUSSIA

Born  08 November

More about her

Find scores by Gayane Cebotaryan:

MIRA J SPEKTOR - GERMANY

Born 06 November

More about her

Find scores by Mira J Spektor:

Check here last year's composers of the day

08 NOVEMBER 2019

JUDITH LANG ZAIMONT - USA

BORN 08 NOVEMBER

Judith Lang Zaimont (born November 8, 1945) is an American composer and pianist.

She received a diploma from the Long Island Institute of Music in 1966, a bachelor's degree from Queens College in 1968, and a master's degree in 1978 from Columbia University. She studied composition with Hugo Weisgall and Jack Beeson at Queens College and later studied with Otto Luening while at Columbia. She also traveled to France through a fellowship in order to study orchestration with André Jolivet. She has taught at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, Adelphi University, and the University of Minnesota. She is currently retired.

Zaimont's music reflects earlier compositional styles. Much of her music incorporates elements from Romanticism and Impressionism, as well as including 20th century techniques. Her music is broadly tonal and emphasizes recognizable structure. She prides herself on the ability to have recognizable form and yet still be creative. One of Zaimont's most recognizable compositional characteristics is her use of complex rhythms and sudden meter changes. She writes that rhythm is the most important element giving cohesion to a piece. She obscures the expected arrival of the downbeat, as well as incorporates an increased pulse of the music. She also includes cross rhythms.

Zaimont was influenced by several well-known composers, including Berlioz, Chopin, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Debussy, Ravel, Messiaen, Stravinsky, and Copland. Her main attraction to these composers was their characterizing use of texture, fast harmonic rhythm, and figuration.

Judith Lang Zaimont has also done much to draw attention to the challenges of female composers. Although she persistently promotes women composers, she does not like being referred to as a woman composer. She has also addressed the absence of women composers in the repertoire of teaching materials. She believes that students are not exposed to female composers, especially living ones, throughout their course of study. She has attempted to urge teachers to include more female composers and new music in their students' college repertoire.

Source: Wikipedia and Judith Zaimont Official Website

♫ LISTEN

Northern Lights by Judith Zaimont

➺ Find out more about Judith Zaimont

CHARLOTTE BRAY - UK
BORN 08 NOVEMBER

Charlotte Bray (born 1982) is a British composer.

Bray was born in Oxford and brought up in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. She studied cello and composition at Birmingham Conservatoire, graduating with First Class Honours having studied with Joe Cutler. She then completed an MMus in composition with Distinction at the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Mark Anthony Turnage.

As a musician Oxana Omelchuk plays in various formations, for instance with Constantin Herzog (analogue synthesizer and double bass), Florian Zwißler (electric organs and analogue synthesizer), and the Simon Rummel Ensemble. She is the recipient of various awards and scholarships, most recently she was nominated for the German Music Author Awards 2019 in the category “ensemble with electronics”. She lives and works in Cologne.Bray was appointed apprentice Composer-in-Residence with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group/Sound and Music for 2009/10, during which time violinist Alexandra Wood and the BCMG gave the première of her violin concerto Caught in Treetops under conductor Oliver Knussen.

Bray has written for some of the world’s top musicians and ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble 360, Britten Sinfonia, London Sinfonietta, The Dover Quartet, Albany and Oberon Trio’s, Claire Booth, Lucy Schaufer, Jennifer Pike, Lawrence Power, Isang Enders, Johannes Thorell, Julien Quentin, Huw Watkins, and Mona Asuka Ott; and festivals, namely BBC Proms, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Savannah, Aix-en-Provence, Festspiele Europäische Wochen Passau, Festival 3B, and Verbier. Conductors who have performed her work include Sir Mark Elder, Oliver Knussen, Daniel Harding, and Jac van Steen.

Source: Charlotte Bray Official Website and Wikipedia

♫ LISTEN

Come Away by Charlotte Bray

➺ Find out more about Charlotte Bray