Howard Bashaw is a composer of acoustic music

Acoustic music

Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...

; and a Professor of Music at the University of Alberta

University of Alberta

The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...

.

Bashaw graduated as a Master of Music

Master of Music

The Master of Music is the first graduate degree in Music awarded by universities and music conservatories. The M.Mus. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy...

 in 1984 and a Doctor of Musical Arts

Doctor of Musical Arts

The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is a doctoral academic degree in music. The D.M.A. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy. The D.M.A...

 in 1989 from the University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

. He also attended the Banff Centre for the Arts where he won the Banff Centre Concerto Competition in 1992. He teaches composition, orchestration

Orchestration

Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...

, music theory

Music theory

Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...

 and analysis

Musical analysis

Musical analysis is the attempt to answer the question how does this music work?. The method employed to answer this question, and indeed exactly what is meant by the question, differs from analyst to analyst, and according to the purpose of the analysis. According to Ian Bent , analysis is "an...

 at the University of Alberta, previously having taught at the University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...

, and at the Université Canadienne en France, Nice

Nice

Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...

.

Bashaw composes music for orchestras, ensembles, and piano soloist performances. He has released some of his own work on CD. The Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Alberta Foundation for the Arts

The Alberta Foundation for the Arts is a crown agency of the Government of Alberta. As the primary arts funding body in Alberta, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts helps to unleash the potential of every artist...

, Canada Council for the Arts, and CBC Radio

CBC Radio

CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...

Music Department have commissioned his work.

Bashaw is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers.

List of works

Piano

• Minimalisms II (2005)
• Form Archimage (2001)
• Preludes Book 2 (2000, revised 2003)
• Preludes Book 1 (1996, revised 2007)
• Hosu (1986, revised 1989)

Chamber

• Music for Trumpet and Piano (2007)
• Music for Alto Saxophone and Piano (2006)
• Music for Trombone and Piano (1998)
• Music for Organ and Piano (1995–96, revised 2007)
• Music for Tuba and Piano (1984, revised 1989)
• 10M-5P-17m (2005) piano, violin, cello, clarinet, percussion
• 4T-XMP-14m (2002) Four Toccatas for Xylophone (or marimba) and Piano
• 12M-4P-15m (2001) piano, violin, cello, clarinet
• Eolian Braid (1995) two pianos, marimba, vibraphone
• seven spheres (1996) piano, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet, violin, cello, percussion
• New Rage for Now Age (1996) piano, trumpet, trombone, percussion, saxophone
• Timepieces (1993, revised 2006) piano, violin, cello, trumpet

Orchestra and large ensemble

• Scratch-Scorch (2008), for Big Band, featuring amplified violin
• TMHRO (2006) Three Movements for the Hard Rubber Orchestra, Big Band, featuring amplified piano
• Concerto for Two Pianos and Two Percussion (1999) with full orchestra
• Minimalisms (2003) 14 instruments – chamber concerto for piano and percussion
• Music for the Cycle of Strength (2003) for 14 instruments
• Double Entente (2002) for 13 instruments – featuring tuba and trombone
• Horos (1994) 6 guitars and 6 double basses, or 1 guitar and 1 double bass with recorded tracks

Voice

• Seven St. Maur Poems (2008) for soprano, violin, cello, piano and percussion
• The Chapel (2007) for SATB choir

Further reading

• Steenhuisen, Paul (2009); "Sonic Mosaics: Conversations with Composers"; Edmonton: University of Alberta Press ISBN 978-0888644749
• Couroux, Marc (1999); "Corpus Hermeticum - Howard Bashaw"; infinit.net
• Poole, Elissa (2004); "Complex structures: Howard Bashaw's music plays with the organization of time"; Words & Music
• Steenhuisen, Paul; "Bashaw - various works" review; paulsteenhuisen.com

External links

• "Walter Boudreau : Sax, Drums & Co." www.scena.org; 2003-11-05
• Art Music Promotion website