GRACIANE FINZI - MOROCCO
BORN 10 JULY
Graciane Finzi was born in Casablanca in 1945. Her parents, both teachers at the Casablanca Conservatory, instilled in her a love of musicand, while attending the same Conservatory, she attained the level necessary to enter theNational Advanced Music Conservatory in Paris when she was only 10 years old.
Between 1975 and 1979, she was Musical Director of "La Défense Festival."In 1979, she was appointed FulI Professor at the Paris National Advanced Music Conservatory.
Official Représentative for the French Association for Artistic Action, 1997-2000.Vice-President of the International Society for Contemporary Music.2001: Résident Composer with the Lille National Orchestra.
The works of Graciane Finzi have been played throughout the world by major soloists andorchestras (Paris, New York, London, Rome, Moscow, Helsinki, Vancouver, Nuremburg, Buenos Aires, Cologne, Calgary. Bremen. Rio de Janeiro, Berlin, Madrid, Warsaw, Mexico, Athènes, Barcelone, Santiago du Chili etc...)
During my early period as a composer, l took account of the individuality of different orchestral instruments, bringing them together in juxtaposed groups which each had its own. Dynamic, impulses, colours and rhythm, thus multiplying what we call in the profession the "true parts".
Nowadays, l have moved towards a more harmonie language, where the multiplicity of soundlevels are organised to form giant harmonies. Poles of attraction form between the notes which guide our understanding of a music which never aims at abstraction, but the immediate expression of life as the deepest feelings of man.
- Can we use the term romanticism? Perhaps. l do not know.
- Expression? Yes, l hope so.- Feelings? Very certainly, that is what l am striving for.
Thriller by Graciane Finzi
SOPHIA WESTENHOLZ - GERMANY
BORN 10 JULY
Sophia Maria Westenholz, née Fritscher (1759-1838) was a German composer, musician, singer and music educator. She was born into a privileged family and spent most of her life in the courts of Schwerin and Ludwigslust, capitals of the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. She studied music with Konzertmeister Johann Wilhelm Hertel in Schwerin beginning at age ten and entered the court orchestra at sixteen. The court moved from Schwerin to Ludwigslust, and Sophia married the new Konzertmeister Carl Friedrich Westenholz, appointed in 1767, who was also a composer of sacred works.
When Carl Westenholz died in 1789, Sophia received the title of Kapellmeisterin at Ludwigslust, and continued her career as a singer, teacher and pianist. In this role, she taught music to the Ludwigslust princesses and composed and performed her own works at court. Three of her eight children became notable musicians. She retired from her court position in 1821 with a pension and had a number of her compositions published in her lifetime.
Morgen by Sophia Westenholz
