Charles Wuorinen

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Charles Wuorinen (b. June 9, 1938 in New York City) is an American composer. Wuorinen has been composing since he was five and he has been a forceful presence on the American musical scene for more than four decades.

In 1970, Wuorinen became the youngest composer to win the Pulitzer Prize (for the electronic work Time's Encomium). The Pulitzer and the MacArthur Fellowship are just two among many awards, fellowships and other honors to have come his way.

Wuorinen has written more than 240 compositions to date. His newest works include Eighth Symphony for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Theologoumenon for James Levine and the MET Orchestra, Spin 5 for Violin and 18 players Ashberyana, chamber settings of poems by John Ashbery, Iridule for oboe and six players; Scherzo a solo for Peter Serkin, Fourth Piano Sonata for Anne Marie McDermott, and his Second Piano Quintet (for Peter Serkin and the Brentano Quartet). Wuorinen’s opera, Haroun and the Sea of Stories based on the novel of Salman Rushdie with libretto by poet James Fenton was premiered by the New York City Opera in Fall 2004.

An indication of Wuorinen's historical importance can be seen in the fact that in 1975 Stravinsky's widow gave Wuorinen the composer's last sketches for use in A Reliquary for Igor Stravinsky. Wuorinen was the first composer commissioned by the Cleveland Orchestra under Christoph von Dohnanyi (Movers and Shakers); and likewise the first to compose for Michael Tilson Thomas' New World Symphony (Bamboula Beach). Fractal geometry and the pioneering work of Benoit Mandelbrot have played a crucial role in several of his works including Bamboula Squared for orchestra and computer generated sounds andNatural Fantasy, a work for organ.

His works have been recorded on nearly a dozen labels including several releases on Naxos, Albany Records (Charles Wuorinen Series), John Zorn’s Tzadik label, and a CD of piano works performed by Alan Feinberg on the German label Col Legno.

Wuorinen's works are published exclusively by C.F. Peters Corporation. He is the author of Simple Composition, used by composition students throughout the world.

An eloquent writer and speaker, Wuorinen has lectured at universities throughout the United States and abroad, and has served on the faculties of Columbia, Princeton, and Yale Universities, the University of Iowa, University of California (San Diego), Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, State University of New York at Buffalo, and Rutgers University.

Wuorinen has also been active as performer, an excellent pianist and a distinguished conductor of his own works as well as other twentieth century repertoire. His orchestral appearances have included the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the American Composers Orchestra.

In 1962 he co-founded the Group for Contemporary Music, one of America's most prestigious ensembles dedicated to performance of new chamber music. In addition to cultivating a new generation of performers, commissioning and premiering hundreds of new works, the Group has been a model for many similar organizations which have appeared in the United States since its founding.

Wuorinen is a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

1 Works
2 Interviews
3 References
4 External links
- 4.1 Listening

[edit] Works

Second Piano Quintet - 2008
Scherzo - 2007
Eleven Short Pieces - 2006
Iridule - 2006
Spin 5 - 2006
Eighth Symphony (Theologoumena) - 2006
Never Again the Same - text by James Tate - 2006
Flying to Kahani - 2005
Heart Shadow - 2005
Theologoumenon - 2005
Duo Sonata for Flute and Piano - 2004
Visible - text by Paul Auster - 2004
Ashberyana - text by John Ashbery - 2004
The Long Boat - text by Stanley Kunitz - 2003
Dodecadactyl- 2003
The Haroun Piano Book - 2003
Fourth Piano Concerto - 2003
The Haroun Songbook - 2002
Hexadactyl - 2002
Josquiniana - 2002
Fifty Fifty - 2002
Pentecost: text by Derek Walcott - 2002
Fenton Songs II - text by James Fenton
September 11, 2001 - text by W. H. Auden. 2001
Two Machine Portraits - text by Les Murray
Haroun and the Sea of Stories - libretto by James Fenton, based on the novel by Salman Rushdie - 2001)^[1]
Andante Espressivo - 2001
Alap, a Prelude to Contrapunctus IX of the Art of Fugue - 2001
Stanzas Before Time text by John Ashbery - 2001
Buttons and Bows (or, Superparticular Variations) - 2001
Cyclops (2000) - 2001
Fourth String Quartet - 2000
Brass Quintet - 1999
An Orbicle of Jasp - 1999
Lepton - 1999
The Dante Trilogy (Chamber version) - 1997
Symphony Seven - 1997
Cello Variations III - 1997
Big Epithalamium - 1997
Epithalamium - 1997
Fenton Songs (Version 1) - 1997
Fenton Songs (Version 2) - 1997
Variations for Orchestra, Op. 31 of Arnold Schoenberg: recast for two pianos by Charles Wuorinen - 1996
The River of Light - the third part of the Dante trilogy - 1996
Katz Fugue - 1996
The Great Procession - the second part of the Dante trilogy - 1995
Sonata for Guitar and Piano -1995
Lightenings VIII - text by Seamus Heaney - 1994
Piano Quintet - 1994
Christes Crosse (after Thomas Morley) - 1994
Percussion Quartet - 1994
Guitar Variations - 1994
Windfall - 1994
The Mission of Virgil - the first part of the Dante trilogy - 1993
Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra - 1993
Missa Renovata - 1992
Saxophone Quartet - 1992
Microsymphony - 1992
A Winter's Tale - text by Dylan Thomas - 1991
Delight of the Muses - 1991
Missa Brevis - 1991
Astra - 1990
Twang - text of Wallace Stevens - 1989
String Sextet - 1989
A solis ortu - 1989
Genesis - 1989
Agnus Dei (from the Mass for the Restoration of St. Luke in the Fields) - 1989
Sonata for Violin and Piano - 1988
Machault Mon Chou - 1988
Josquin: Ave Christe (Josquin motet recast for solo piano) - 1988
Bagatelle - 1988
Another Happy Birthday - 1988
Five: Concerto for Amplified Cello and Orchestra - 1987
Third String Quartet - 1987
Galliard - 1987
Third Piano Sonata - 1986
A Doleful Dompe on Deborah's Departure as well as Borda's Bawdy Badinage - 1986
Fanfare (for Rutgers University) - 1986
The Golden Dance - 1986
Bamboula Beach - 1986
Horn Trio Continued - 1985
Double Solo for Horn Trio - 1985
Natural Fantasy - 1985
Trombone Trio - 1985
Prelude to Kullervo - 1985
Movers and Shakers - 1984
Bamboula Squared - 1984
Concertino (for 15 Solo Instruments) - 1984
Crossfire - 1984
Album Leaf (for Howard Klein) - 1984
Concertino - 1984
Third Piano Concerto - 1983, premiered by Albany Symphony Orchestra, Julius Hegyi conductor, Garrick Ohlsson soloist
Spinoff - 1983
Piano Trio - 1983
Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra - 1983
Divertimento for String Quartet - 1982
New York Notes - 1982
Divertimento for Alto Saxophone and Piano - 1982
Mass for the Restoration of St. Luke in the Fields - 1982
Horn Trio - 1981
Capriccio - 1981
Short Suite - 1981
Trio for Bass Instruments - 1981
The Blue Bamboula - 1980
The Celestial Sphere (An Oratorio for Mixed Chorus and Orchestra) - 1980
Ecclesiastical Symphonies (4 Movements from "The Celestial Sphere") - 1980
Beast 708 - 1980
Percussion Duo - 1979
Second String Quartet - 1979
The Magic Art: An Instrumental Masque drawn from the works of Henry Purcell - 1979
Fortune - 1979
Psalm 39 - 1979
Joan's Instrumentation - 1979
Three Songs for Tenor and Piano - text by Coburn Britton- 1979
Archaeopteryx for Bass Trombone and 10 Players - 1978
Two-Part Symphony - 1978
Ancestors - 1978
Fast Fantasy - 1977
The Winds - 1977
Self-Similar Waltz - 1977
Six Pieces for Violin and Piano - 1977
Archangel for Bass Trombone and String Quartet - 1977
Wind Quintet - 1977
Album Leaf for Ayda and Fred - 1977
Six Songs For Two Voices - Text by Coburn Britton - 1977
Percussion Symphony - 1976
Second Piano Sonata - 1976
Tashi - 1975/6
Cello Variations II - 1975
Hyperion - 1975
A Reliquary for Igor Stravinsky - 1975
The W. of Babylon, (or The Triumph of Love over Moral Depravity) - 1975
Fantasia - 1974
Second Piano Concerto (for Amplified Piano and Orchestra) - 1974
Anthem for Epiphany - 1974
Third Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano - 1973
Twelve Short Pieces - 1973
Grand Union - 1973
Mannheim 87.87.87 - 1973
Arabia Felix - 1973
Bassoon Variations - 1972
Concerto for Amplified Violin and Orchestra - 1972
Speculum Speculi - 1972
Violin Variations - 1972
Harp Variations - 1972
On Alligators - 1972
First String Quartet -1971
Grand Bamboula - 1971
Canzona - 1971
Tiento Sobre Cabezon - 1971
Chamber Concerto for Tuba with 12 Winds and 12 Drums - 1970
Message to Denmark Hill - text of Richard Howard - 1970
Ringing Changes - 1970
A Song to the Lute in Musicke - 1970
Cello Variations - 1970
Nature's Concord - 1969
Time's Encomium - 1969
Adapting to the Times - 1969
First Piano Sonata - 1969
The Long and the Short - 1969
Contrafactum - 1969
Flute Variations II - 1968
String Trio - 1968
The Politics of Harmony (A Masque) - 1967
Duo - 1967
Janissary Music - 1966
The Bells - 1966
Bicinium - 1966
Making Ends Meet - 1966
Harpsichord Divisions - 1966
First Piano Concerto - 1966
Salve Regina: John Bull - 1966
Composition for Oboe and Piano - 1965
Orchestral and Electronic Exchanges - 1965
Chamber Concerto for Oboe and 10 Players - 1965
Chamber Concerto for Flute and 10 Players - 1964
Composition for Violin and 10 Instruments - 1964
Super Salutem - 1964
Chamber Concerto for Cello and 10 Players - 1963
Piano Variations - 1963
Flute Variations I - 1963
Second Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano - 1962
Bearbeitungen ueber das Glogauer Liederbuch - 1962
Octet - 1962
The Prayer of Jonah - 1962
Duuiensela - 1962
Invention for Percussion Quintet - 1962
Symphonia Sacra - 1961
Description: voices and instruments - 1961
Evolutio: Organ - 1961
Concert for Double Bass Alone - 1961
Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano - 1961
Evolutio Transcripta - 1961
Madrigale Spirituale sopra salmo secondo - 1960
Consort of Four Trombones - 1960
Concertone for Brass Quintet & Orchestra - 1960
The Door In The Wall - 1960
On The Raft - 1960
Eight Variations for Flute and Harpsichord - 1960
Sonata for Flute and Piano - 1960
Turetzky Pieces - 1960
Symphony No. 3 - 1959
Movement for Wind Quintet -1958
Be Mery All That Be Present - 1957
Music for Orchestra - 1956
Sonatina for Woodwind Quartet - 1956
Two Lute Songs of Thomas Campion - 1956
Prelude and Fugue for Four Percussionists - 1955
Fanfare (for the Houston Symphony)
In Heated Sylvan Glades & With Elegiac Sackbuts
Simple Composition (book)
Three Cadenzas for the Mozart Concerto in C Major