Joan Tower: Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman Context Joan Tower was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1938. When Tower was nine, her family moved to Bolivia, which she describes as an integral part of Read more…
Julius Fučík: Entrance of the Gladiators Context Julius Fučík was born in Prague in 1872, and this was a time where Prague was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Differently to many other composers of the time, Fučík began Read more…
Alexander Arutunian: Trumpet Concerto Context Born in Yerevan, Alexander Arutunian (1920-2012) was soon recognised as an accomplished pianist and composer, and subsequently, he studied at the Conservatory of Yerevan. After deciding that a career as a composer Read more…
Joan Trimble: The Green Bough Context Joan Trimble was born in 1915 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh. She, from a young age, learnt to play the piano, read music and then compose her own music. She studied Read more…
Alfred Reed: Second Suite for Band (Latino Mexicana) Context Alfred Reed was born in 1921 in New York. He has composed lots of music for a variety of ensembles including concert and wind bands, symphonic orchestras and choral Read more…
Ludwig van Beethoven: Egmont Overture The Egmont Overture is theopening of a set of incidental music that Beethoven was commissioned to write for a 1787 play of the same name by Johann Wolfgang van Goethe. The music was Read more…
Julia Gomelskaya: Memento Vitae Context Julia Gomelskaya was born on March 11, 1964 in Ukraine. At a young age she began engaging in music and this carried through to her later years where she began studying composition Read more…
Paul Dukas: L’apprenti sorcier (‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’) Context Paul Dukas was born in Paris, 1865. Unlike many other composers, Dukas didn’t show much incredible music talent when he started learning piano at age 5. It wasn’t until Read more…
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No.9 (From the New World) Context Dvořák composed his last, and indeed most internationally popular, symphony in his first year of living in the United States of America. Dvořák’s career, financial situation and international recognition Read more…
Aaron Copland: Letter from Home Context Aaron Copland (1900-1990), was born in Brooklyn, New York City into a Conservative Jewish family. Whilst growing up he, along with his other siblings, was offered music lessons. Copland became Read more…