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Julia Wolfe
Julia Wolfe

Julia Wolfe is an United States composer. She was born in Philadelphia and works in New York. Wolfe's music is rhythmically vigorous and often clangorously dissonant....
 (born December 18, 1958) is an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 composer
Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
. She was born in Philadelphia and works in New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
. Wolfe's music is rhythmically vigorous and often clangorously dissonant. As a composer associated with the downtown
Downtown music

Downtown music is a subdivision of American music, closely related experimental music. The scene the term describes began in 1960, when Yoko Ono ? one of the Fluxus artists, at that time still seven years away from meeting John Lennon ? opened her loft at 112 Chambers Street to be used as a noise music performance space for a series curated...
 style of new music she is not averse to drawing on rock and minimalism
Minimalist music

Minimalist music is an originally American genre of experimental music or Downtown music named in the 1960s based mostly in consonance and dissonance, steady pulse , stasis and slow transformation, and often reiteration of musical phrase or smaller units such as Figure , Motif , and Cell ....
 as primary influences. Her music, however, shows a good deal more rhythmic complexity than is generally found in these genres, hence her music can properly be considered and described as postminimalist.

In 1987, Wolfe co-founded Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can

Bang on a Can is a multi-faceted musical organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1987 by three United States composers who remain its artistic directors: Julia Wolfe, David Lang , and Michael Gordon ....
 together with composers David Lang
David Lang (composer)

David Lang is an United States composer living in New York City. He was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music for The Little Match Girl Passion...
 and Michael Gordon
Michael Gordon (composer)

Michael Gordon is an American composer and co-founder of the Bang on a Can festival and ensemble. His music is associated with the genres of totalism and post-minimalism....
, her husband.

In 2000 she was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.

As of 2003, Julia Wolfe is on the composition faculty of the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music

The Manhattan School of Music is a world-renowned music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers Academic degrees on the Bachelors degree, Masters degree, and doctoral levels in the areas of european classical music and jazz performance and composition....
.








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Julia Wolfe
Julia Wolfe

Julia Wolfe is an United States composer. She was born in Philadelphia and works in New York. Wolfe's music is rhythmically vigorous and often clangorously dissonant....
 (born December 18, 1958) is an American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 composer
Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
. She was born in Philadelphia and works in New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
. Wolfe's music is rhythmically vigorous and often clangorously dissonant. As a composer associated with the downtown
Downtown music

Downtown music is a subdivision of American music, closely related experimental music. The scene the term describes began in 1960, when Yoko Ono ? one of the Fluxus artists, at that time still seven years away from meeting John Lennon ? opened her loft at 112 Chambers Street to be used as a noise music performance space for a series curated...
 style of new music she is not averse to drawing on rock and minimalism
Minimalist music

Minimalist music is an originally American genre of experimental music or Downtown music named in the 1960s based mostly in consonance and dissonance, steady pulse , stasis and slow transformation, and often reiteration of musical phrase or smaller units such as Figure , Motif , and Cell ....
 as primary influences. Her music, however, shows a good deal more rhythmic complexity than is generally found in these genres, hence her music can properly be considered and described as postminimalist.

In 1987, Wolfe co-founded Bang on a Can
Bang on a Can

Bang on a Can is a multi-faceted musical organization based in New York City. It was founded in 1987 by three United States composers who remain its artistic directors: Julia Wolfe, David Lang , and Michael Gordon ....
 together with composers David Lang
David Lang (composer)

David Lang is an United States composer living in New York City. He was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music for The Little Match Girl Passion...
 and Michael Gordon
Michael Gordon (composer)

Michael Gordon is an American composer and co-founder of the Bang on a Can festival and ensemble. His music is associated with the genres of totalism and post-minimalism....
, her husband.

In 2000 she was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.

As of 2003, Julia Wolfe is on the composition faculty of the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music

The Manhattan School of Music is a world-renowned music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers Academic degrees on the Bachelors degree, Masters degree, and doctoral levels in the areas of european classical music and jazz performance and composition....
.

Works


Orchestra


Amber Waves of Grain (1988) - 8 minute(s) Orchestration 2(pic).222/432+btbn.1/4perc/hp/str

Cruel Sister (2004) - 35 minute(s) Orchestration str (min 65431)

Tell me everything (1994) - 8 minute(s) Orchestration 111.asx.1/1110/2perc/hp.pf/str (111.asx.1/1110/2perc/hp.pf/amp 2vn, amp va, amp vc, amp db)

The Vermeer Room (1989) - 15 minute(s) Orchestration 1(afl).11(bcl).1/11.btbn.0/2perc/pf/str (fl(afl), ob, cl(bcl), bn, hn, tpt, btbn, 2perc, pf, hp, 2vn, va, vc, db)

Window of Vulnerability (1991) - 9 minute(s) Orchestration 3(2pic).3.3(bcl).2+cbn/4.3.3(btbn).1/timp.4perc/hp.syn.pf/str

Soloist(s) and Orchestra


My Beautiful Scream (2003) - 25 minute(s) Soloist(s) amplified string quartet Orchestration 3(pic).2+ca.2+bcl.2+cbn/4.3.2+btbn.1/4perc/amp pf.hp.ebgtr/str

Large Ensemble (7 or more players)


Arsenal of Democracy (1993) - 9 minute(s) Orchestration 1(pic).00.ssx+asx+barsx.0/132+btbn.0/bgtr/pf

Girlfriend (1988) - 18 minute(s) Orchestration all instruments amplified: fl(afl,pic), cl(bcl), full-size MIDI kbd with Electric Organ sound, perc, twelve cheap wine glasses (to be stomped on, 2 per player), vn, vc, audio tape with click track

Steam (1995) - 7 minute(s) Orchestration fl, vc, eorg, Harry Partch instruments

Soloist(s) and Large Ensemble (7 or more players)


Accordion Concerto ("True Love") (2005) - 20 minute(s) Soloist(s) Accordion Orchestration 1.1.1(bcl).1/1.1.1.1/perc/hp.pf/str (1.1.1.1.1)

Works for 2-6 Players


Believing (1997) - 9 minute(s) Orchestration amplified sextet

Believing (expanded version) (1997) - 20 minute(s) Orchestration amplified sextet

Close Together (2000) - 18 minute(s) Orchestration cello, percussion, electronic tape

Dark Full Ride (2002) - 18 minute(s) Orchestration four drum sets

Dig Deep Orchestration string quartet

Early That Summer (1993) - 12 minute(s) Orchestration str4t

Four Marys (1991) - 12 minute(s) Orchestration str4t

Lick (1994) - 8 minute(s) Orchestration all instruments amplified: ssx, perc, pf, egtr, vc, db

Mink Stole (1997) - 10 minute(s) Orchestration vn, pf

on seven-star-shoes (1985) - 6 minute(s) Orchestration fl(pic), ob, cl(bcl), bn, hn

Solo Keyboard(s)


6 Pianos Orchestration 6 pf

Compassion (2001) - 7 minute(s) Orchestration piano

Earring (2001) - 2 minute(s) Orchestration piano

East Broadway (1996) Orchestration toy piano, toy boombox

my lips from speaking (1993) - 13 minute(s) Orchestration 6 pianos

Film


  • New York Composers: Searching for a New Music (1997). Directed by Michael Blackwood. Produced by Michael Blackwood Productions, in association with Westdeutscher Rundfunk. New York, New York: Michael Blackwood Productions.


Other


Democracy (1999) - 15 minute(s) Orchestration electronic tape

Recordings


  • Julia Wolfe: The String Quartets including artists Ethel
    Ethel (string quartet)

    ETHEL is the name of an United States string quartet based in New York City that is dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music....
    , Cassatt String Quartet, and Lark Quartet (2003)


  • Arsenal of Democracy by Julia Wolfe (1996)
  • Lost Objects with artists Michael Gordon, David Lang, Roger Epple, Andrew Watts, Daniel Taylor, and Concerto Köln (2001)
  • Bang on a Can Live, Vol. 1 with artists David Mott, Robert Black, Anna Cholakian, Karl Parens, and Andrew Sterman (1994)

External links

  • by David Krasnow