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A musical score.

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An original composition in one movement for a chamber octet comprised of a string quartet and a jazz piano quartet with tenor saxophone. The work develops an idée fixe, introduced in the opening bars, through a wide variety of transformations, textures, and styles. The two quartets begin in antiphonal alteration, united in thematic material, yet separated by style. A modern art music style contrasts with an improvisational jazz style. Gradually, the two quartets, and their concomitant musics, bleed into one another, breaking down stylistic boundaries. In the conclusion of the work, the idée fixe, the supplementary themes, and the two quartets coalesce into an organic sonic whole.

An original composition in three movements for large orchestra. Following the score is a detailed analysis of the work, consisting of an introduction, three sections of analysis devoted to each of the three movements of the composition, and a short conclusion summarizing the analysis.

An original composition in five movements for voice and a chamber orchestra of eleven instruments. The first movement is an overture; the second and fifth movements have text by Sara Teasdale; the third and fourth movements have text by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

The great challenge that exists in cross-cultural composition is finding commonalities of intonation, style, formality, and instrumentation. In the case of creating a composition for Persian tar and symphony orchestra, a number of challenges emerge. The goal of this composition is to find compatible musical elements between Persian and western music. The most difficult challenge of composing in this genre is finding compatible musical modes to generate optimum intonation. For this piece, the western pitch of Bb is used to help the intonation and tonal production of the tar. My approach to style involves a sensitive application using elements of classical Persian style and formality known as dãstgãh composition. Generally, Persian music places strong emphasis on improvisation, non-repetitive scalar melodies, variation of melodic and rhythmic material, tasteful ornamentation, and creating an inspiring musical atmosphere. Often music is composed with a story, poem or song in the mind of the performer. Typically, the instrumentation is very small and intimate, consisting of a tar performer, accompanied by a musician playing a daff (a Persian frame drum much like an Irish bodhran). I have composed a work that features many of the above characteristics. The Concerto for Tar and Orchestra encompasses many salient features found in Persian classical music, while also providing symphonic orchestration that adds complimentary western musical elements. Most of the instrumentation of the work adheres to standard orchestral instrumentation. I have included some Persian hand-drums to the orchestration (a tombak and a dohol) to play alongside standard symphonic percussion to add a more cross-cultural quality to the orchestration. The concerto also owes its inspiration to the story “Umar and the Harpist”, which is found in Jellaludin Rumi’s revered, masterful literary work entitled the Masnavi. I used the imagery found in this story to generate much of the dramatic contrast contained in the concerto. In the end, a composition has emerged which brings two distinct classical music traditions together in an effective cross-cultural form of expression.

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No description available.

Le sanctuaire de Delphes a connu pendant toute la période une vie musicale effervescente, notamment par la tenue périodique des prestigieux concours pythiques Cependant, on ne s’était jamais demandé pourquoi la musique y a connu une telle faveur. Il faut remarquer que bien des aspects des musiques données à Delphes sont communs à d’autres sanctuaires : l’Apollon citharède honoré à Delphes est panhellénique et les offrandes qui lui sont consacrées, instruments comme compositions, se trouvent sur d’autres sites. Mais Delphes a ses spécificités : l’interaction d’un environnement sonore adéquat, de la pratique oraculaire et de la volonté amphictyonique de distinguer les concours de pythiques, dans la mesure de leur liberté, en font un cas unique. C’est ainsi que l’on peut parler de « centre musical », au sens où Delphes est une étape obligée des parcours géographiques et sociaux des musiciens et un terrain d’échanges privilégié tant dans la pratique que la théorie musicales. Au terme de cette étude, il paraît clair que Delphes a occupé une place originale dans l’histoire de la musique antique, éminemment paradoxale : c’est un site incontournable pour les musiciens, alors même qu’il n’y eut jamais d’école de musique locale forte à Delphes. C’est là que se trouve sans doute la réponse à notre question : la prospérité musicale de Delphes peut venir de ce que le sanctuaire est un terrain qui était perçu comme neutre par tous les musiciens du monde grec, où ils se retrouvaient égaux par les règles spécifiques en usage à Delphes et qui n’avantageaient aucun musicien originaire des lieux. / The musical life was particularly brilliant in the sanctuary of Delphi, especially during the prestigious Pythian contests. Indeed, no scholar has ever wondered why music was so pregnant in Delphi. Many aspects of the musical life in Delphi are common in comparison to other Greek sanctuaries: Apollo Kitharoidos is a panhellenic god and votive offerings for him (instruments and scores) can be found elsewhere. However, there are some specific features: due to the interaction between an impressive soundscape, the oracular cult and the decision of the Amphictiony to make a distinction between Pythian contests and other ones, Delphi is unique. That is why Delphi can be considered as a “musical centre”: all Greek musicians travel to Delphi, so as to increase their social status; furthermore, there were lots of musical transferts between musicians; so that they may change their own way of playing or understang music. At the end of our study, it is obvious that Delphi has got a specific place in the history of ancient music, but it is quite paradoxical: it is necessary for musicians to come to Delphi, although there is no local music school at all in Delphi. It could be the answer to our preliminary question: Delphi may have been seen by all of the Greek musicians as a neutral site, where no advantage was given to anybody else. In fact, all musicians were equally treated because of the specific rules used in Delphi.