9/17/2015

AugustaReadThomasLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

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Augusta Read Thomas
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Augusta Read Thomas

Born: 1964
Nationality: American
Publisher: G. Schirmer
Photo Andrew Nelles
"Heartandsoulinthebreathtakingmusicofathoughtful
contemporarycomposer...revealsalively,probingmindalliedtoa
beatingheart."
DonaldRosenberg,GramophoneMagazine

"AugustaReadThomassimpressivebodyofworksembodies
unbridledpassionandfiercepoetry.Championedbysuchluminaries
asBarenboim,Rostropovich,Boulez,andKnussen,sheroseearlyto
thetopofherprofession.Later,asaninfluentialteacheratEastman,
NorthwesternandTanglewood,chairpersonoftheAmericanMusic
Center,andtheChicagoSymphonyslongestservingresident
composer,shehasbecomeoneofthemostrecognizableandwidely
lovedfiguresinAmericanMusic."
AmericanAcademyandInstituteofArtsandLetters
"atruevirtuosocomposer"
TheNewYorker
"BlissouttoMs.Thomas'stransfixingshimmer"
TheNewYorkTimes

ThemusicofAugustaReadThomas(b.1964)ismajestic,itiselegant,it
islyrical,itis"boldlyconsideredmusicthatcelebratesthesoundofthe
instrumentsandreaffirmsthevitalityoforchestralmusic"(Philadelphia
Inquirer).Herdeeplypersonalmusicisguidedbyherparticularsenseofmusicalform,rhythm,timbre,andharmony.But
giventhisindividuality,hermusicisaffectedbyhistoryinThomas'swords,"Oldmusicdeservesnewmusicandnewmusic
needsoldmusic."ForThomas,thismeanscherishingherplacewithinthemusicaltraditionandgivingcredittothosewho
haveforgedthemusicalpathsshefollowsandfromwhichsheinnovates."Youcanheartheperfumesofmymetaphorical
grandparents,"Thomasstates."ThereisawonderfultraditionthatIadore,Iunderstand,andcareabout,butIhavemytwofeet
facingforward."Thomas'svisiontowardthefuture,herunderstandingofthepresent,andherrespectforthepastisevidentin
herart.Moststrikinginhermusic,however,isitsexquisitehumanityandpoetryofthesoul.Thenotionthatmusictakesover
wherewordsceaseishardlymoretruethaninhermusicalvoice.
BorninGlenCove,NewYork,ThomaswasappointedUniversityProfessorofCompositionattheUniversityofChicagoin
2011.UniversityProfessorsareselectedforinternationallyrecognizedeminenceintheirfieldsaswellasfortheirpotentialfor
highimpactacrosstheUniversity.Thomaswillbecomethe16thpersonevertoholdaUniversityProfessorship,andthefifth
currentlyattheUniversity.Additionally,shewastheMeadComposerinResidencewiththeChicagoSymphonyOrchestra
(CSO)fromMay1997throughJune2006,aresidencythatculminatedinthepremiereofAstralCanticleoneoftwo
finalistsforthe2007PulitzerPrizeinMusic.DuringherresidencywiththeCSO,underthedirectionofDanielBarenboim,
Thomasnotonlypremieredninecommissionedworks,butalsofounded,alongwithCliffColnot,andcuratedtheMusicNOW
series.InadditiontoBarenboim,Thomas'smusichasbeenchampionedbyotherleadingconductorsincludingPierreBoulez,
EsaPekkaSalonen,OliverKnussen,SeijiOzawa,MstislavRostropovich,LeonardSlatkin,DavidRobertson,Christoph
Eschenbach,LudovicMorlot,andXianZhang.Hermusichasbeencommissionedbyleadingensemblesandorganizations
aroundtheworldincluding:LoveSongs(Chanticleer)ChantingtoParadise(NDR[GermanRadio]Orchestra)Songin
Sorrow(TheClevelandOrchestra)OrbitalBeacons,Aurora,InMySkyatTwilight,Ceremonial,CarillonSky,Wordsofthe
Sea,Trainwork,Tangle,andAstralCanticle(ChicagoSymphonyOrchestra)PrayerBells(PittsburghSymphony)Bells
RingSummer(LaJollaChamberMusicSociety)GalaxyDances,andCelloConcerto(NationalSymphony)Violin
Concerto(RadioFranceandtheBBCOrchestra)HeliosChorosI(DallasSymphony)HeliosChorosII(LondonandBoston
SymphonyOrchestras)HeliosChorosIII(OrchestredeParis)Pulsar(BBC)Terpsichore'sDream(UtahSymphony)
CanticleWeaving(LosAngelesPhilharmonic)andCantosforSlava(ASCAPFoundation).
From1993to2001,Thomaswasanassistantprofessor,thenassociateprofessorofcompositionattheEastmanSchoolof
Music,andfrom2001until2006shewastheWyattProfessorofMusicatNorthwesternUniversity.In20072008,Thomaswas
aVisitingScholarintheDepartmentofMusicintheDivisionoftheHumanitiesattheUniversityofChicago.Frequently,
Thomasundertakesshorttermresidenciesincolleges,universities,andfestivalsacrosstheUnitedStatesandinEurope.
ThomasstudiedcompositionwithJacobDruckmanatYaleUniversity,withAlanStoutandBillKarlinsatNorthwestern
University,andattheRoyalAcademyofMusicinLondon.ShewasaJuniorFellowintheSocietyofFellowsatHarvard
University(199194)andaBuntingFellowatRadcliffeCollege(199091),andoftenteachescompositionatTanglewood.
ThomashasalsobeenontheBoardofDirectorsoftheAmericanMusicCentersince2000,aswellasontheboardsand
advisoryboardsofseveralchambermusicgroups.

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/longbio/AugustaReadThomas

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9/17/2015

AugustaReadThomasLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical
Inadditiontothenumerouscommercialrecordingsofhermusicavailableonmajorrecordlabels,Thomashasreleasedfive
ofherownalbumsindependently.
AugustaReadThomas'smusicispublishedexclusivelybyG.Schirmer,Inc.
December2013
Forspecificinquiriesaboutthiscomposer,pleasecontactMattie.Kaiser@schirmer.comorcall2122542100.

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