Oskar Morawetz
Encyclopedia
Oskar Morawetz, CM
, O.Ont
(January 17, 1917 – June 13, 2007) was a Canadian composer
.
Morawetz was born in Světlá nad Sázavou
, Bohemia
(now in the Czech Republic
). He studied piano
and theory
in Prague
and, following the Nazi takeover of his country in 1938, studied in Vienna
and Paris, always staying one step ahead of the invading Nazis. At an early age he developed the ability to sight-read orchestral scores and at the age of 19 he was recommended by George Szell
for the assistant conductor's
post with the Prague Opera
. In 1940 he left Europe for Canada and since that time he established himself as one of Canada's leading and most frequently performed composers.
, Seiji Ozawa
, Rafael Kubelík
, Kurt Masur
, Gunther Herbig
, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Charles Mackerras, William Steinberg
and many prominent Canadian conductors. Many internationally acclaimed soloists have performed and recorded his compositions including cellist Yo-Yo Ma
, violinist Itzhak Perlman
, pianists Glenn Gould
, Rudolf Firkušný
, Antonin Kubalek
and Anton Kuerti
, Metropolitan Opera
singers Jon Vickers
, Maureen Forrester
, Victor Braun
, Louis Quilico
, Judith Forst
and Ben Heppner
, and many principal wind players of the best orchestras in the U.S.A. and Canada who have commissioned and premièred his works.
His style absorbs, in his own distinctly personal way, several trends of the 20th century. However he was never attached to serial music or the latest avant-garde
styles such as chance
or electronic music
. Musicologists and critics usually stress the melodic and rhythm
ic vitality of his music, sincerity and depth of expression, his sense for building up powerful, dramatic climaxes, and his unusually colourful and imaginative orchestration. Stylistically, he is a self-avowed traditionalist: "Ever since I was a child, music has meant for me something terribly emotional, and I still believe there has to be some kind of melodic line."
Among his most highly regarded works are his Piano Concerto and Sinfonietta for Winds and Percussion both premièred by Mehta. His Memorial to Martin Luther King was broadcast by radio stations in 24 countries in 1979 in honour of King's 50th birthday, and by nearly 250 stations in the USA in 1987 in a special performance by Kurt Masur and the Cleveland Orchestra
. This composition as well as his From the Diary of Anne Frank
, which conductor Karel Ančerl
described after its Carnegie Hall
première as "one of the most moving compositions he had conducted during the last two decades", have both been performed on four continents.
(1962). His Sinfonietta for Winds and Percussion was chosen as the winning composition of Critics' Award at the International Competition for Contemporary Music in Cava dei Tirreni, Italy (1966). In 1971, From the Diary of Anne Frank received a special award from the J.I. Segal Fund for Jewish Culture
in Canada in Montreal for "the most important contribution to Jewish culture and music in Canada." This composition won a Juno Award
for "Best Classical Composition" in 2001. His Concerto for Harp and Orchestra also won a Juno award in 1989.
On three occasions, Morawetz was awarded a Canada Council
Senior Arts Fellowship (1960, 1967, 1974) for his contribution to Canadian music. In 1987, Morawetz was the first composer in Canada to receive the Order of Ontario
honouring citizens "who have demonstrated excellence and achievement of the highest degree and distinction", and in 1989 he received the Order of Canada
for his "outstanding achievements and service". SOCAN also honoured Morawetz in 1994 with the Jan V. Matejcek Concert Music Award, which recognizes a composer with "an unsurpassed number of performances of a vast variety of works executed by world renowned conductors and performers". In 1999, SOCAN once again honoured Morawetz with its highest honour, the Wm. Harold Moon Award for bringing international recognition to Canada through his work. Morawetz was also awarded an honorary diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music
(1998), and the Golden Jubilee Medal
(2002).
, RCA Victor
, EMI
, Sony Classical
, the Canadian Music Centre
(Centrediscs), and the CBC
. In 1984 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
issued an anthology of Morawetz's music on seven records. In 2002 the Canadian Music Centre, produced Canadian Composers Portraits, a documentary and music CD set on the pioneering composers to Canadian music.
where he was professor
of composition until his retirement in 1982. Among his notable pupils are Tomas Dusatko, Walter Kemp, Muriel Kilby, Larysa Kuzmenko
, Edward Laufer, Bruce Mather
, Ben McPeek
, and Srul Irving Glick
.
Concertos (Orchestral with soloist)
Choral Music
Vocal Music
Keyboard Music
Chamber Music
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, O.Ont
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
(January 17, 1917 – June 13, 2007) was a Canadian composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Morawetz was born in Světlá nad Sázavou
Svetlá nad Sázavou
Světlá nad Sázavou is a town in the Vysočina Region, Czech Republic. The Sázava River flows through the town.- Parts of town :* Světlá nad Sázavou* Benetice* Dolní Březinka* Dolní Dlužiny* Horní Březinka* Horní Dlužiny* Josefodol* Kochánov...
, Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(now in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). He studied piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and 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...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and, following the Nazi takeover of his country in 1938, studied in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Paris, always staying one step ahead of the invading Nazis. At an early age he developed the ability to sight-read orchestral scores and at the age of 19 he was recommended by George Szell
George Szell
George Szell , originally György Széll, György Endre Szél, or Georg Szell, was a Hungarian-born American conductor and composer...
for the assistant conductor's
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
post with the Prague Opera
Prague State Opera
The Prague State Opera , is an opera and ballet company in Prague, Czech Republic. The theatre was originally founded in 1888 as the New German Theatre and from 1949 to 1989 it was known as the Smetana Theatre....
. In 1940 he left Europe for Canada and since that time he established himself as one of Canada's leading and most frequently performed composers.
Music
Morawetz' orchestral compositions have been programmed in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia by nearly 120 orchestras and by such outstanding conductors as Zubin MehtaZubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
, Seiji Ozawa
Seiji Ozawa
is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:...
, Rafael Kubelík
Rafael Kubelík
Rafael Jeroným Kubelík was a Czech conductor and composer.-Early life:Kubelík was born in Býchory, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary, today's Czech Republic. He was the sixth child of the Bohemian violinist Jan Kubelík, whom the younger Kubelík described as "a kind of god to me." His mother was a Hungarian...
, Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times...
, Gunther Herbig
Günther Herbig
Günther Herbig is a German conductor.Born in Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, Herbig studied conducting at the Franz Liszt Academy in Weimar in 1951 with Hermann Abendroth. He later was a student of Hermann Scherchen, Arvid Jansons, and Herbert von Karajan...
, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Charles Mackerras, William Steinberg
William Steinberg
William Steinberg was a German-American conductor.- Biography :Steinberg was born Hans Wilhelm Steinberg in Cologne, Germany. He displayed early talent as a violinist, pianist, and composer, conducting his own choral/ orchestral composition at age 13...
and many prominent Canadian conductors. Many internationally acclaimed soloists have performed and recorded his compositions including cellist Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, violinist Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the pre-eminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.-Early life:...
, pianists Glenn Gould
Glenn Gould
Glenn Herbert Gould was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was particularly renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach...
, Rudolf Firkušný
Rudolf Firkusny
- Life :Born in Moravian Napajedla, Firkušný started his musical studies with the composers Leoš Janáček and Josef Suk, and the pianist Vilém Kurz. Later he studied with Alfred Cortot and Artur Schnabel. He began performing on the continent of Europe in the 1920s, and made his debuts in London in...
, Antonin Kubalek
Antonin Kubalek
Antonín Kubálek was a Czech-Canadian classical pianist.Kubálek was born in Libkovice, Most District, Czechoslovakia and studied in Prague with Czech pianist František Maxián. He emigrated to Canada in 1968 and settled in Toronto...
and Anton Kuerti
Anton Kuerti
Anton Kuerti, OC is an Austrian-born Canadian pianist, music teacher, composer, and conductor. Since his performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Boston Pops Orchestra at age 11, he has developed international recognition as a solo pianist, particularly focusing on the works of Beethoven...
, Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
singers Jon Vickers
Jon Vickers
Jonathan Stewart Vickers, CC , known professionally as Jon Vickers, is a retired Canadian heldentenor.Born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, he was the sixth in a family of eight children. In 1950, he was awarded a scholarship to study opera at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto...
, Maureen Forrester
Maureen Forrester
Maureen Kathleen Stewart Forrester, was a Canadian operatic contralto.-Life and career:Maureen Forrester was born and grew up in a poor section of Montreal, Quebec. She was one of four children to Thomas Forrester, a Scottish cabinetmaker, and his Irish-born wife, the former May Arnold. She...
, Victor Braun
Victor Braun
Victor Conrad Braun was a Canadian baritone who had a major international performance career in concerts and operas that lasted more than 40 years...
, Louis Quilico
Louis Quilico
Louis Quilico, CC was a Canadian opera singer. One of the leading dramatic baritones of his day, he was an ideal interpreter of the great Italian and French composers, especially Giuseppe Verdi. He was often referred to as "Mr Rigoletto" in reference to the Verdi opera...
, Judith Forst
Judith Forst
Judith Doris Forst, OC, OBC is a Canadian mezzo-soprano.Born in New Westminster, British Columbia, she received a Bachelor of Music from the University of British Columbia in 1964. She is the sister-in-law of long time Vancouver radio personality Brian Forst...
and Ben Heppner
Ben Heppner
Ben Heppner, CC is a Canadian tenor, specializing in opera and other classical works for voice.Heppner was born in Murrayville, British Columbia, and lived in Dawson Creek...
, and many principal wind players of the best orchestras in the U.S.A. and Canada who have commissioned and premièred his works.
His style absorbs, in his own distinctly personal way, several trends of the 20th century. However he was never attached to serial music or the latest avant-garde
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
styles such as chance
Aleatoric music
Aleatoric music is music in which some element of the composition is left to chance, and/or some primary element of a composed work's realization is left to the determination of its performer...
or electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. Musicologists and critics usually stress the melodic and rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
ic vitality of his music, sincerity and depth of expression, his sense for building up powerful, dramatic climaxes, and his unusually colourful and imaginative orchestration. Stylistically, he is a self-avowed traditionalist: "Ever since I was a child, music has meant for me something terribly emotional, and I still believe there has to be some kind of melodic line."
Among his most highly regarded works are his Piano Concerto and Sinfonietta for Winds and Percussion both premièred by Mehta. His Memorial to Martin Luther King was broadcast by radio stations in 24 countries in 1979 in honour of King's 50th birthday, and by nearly 250 stations in the USA in 1987 in a special performance by Kurt Masur and the Cleveland Orchestra
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1918, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall...
. This composition as well as his From the Diary of Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
, which conductor Karel Ančerl
Karel Ancerl
Karel Ančerl , was a Czech conductor, known for his performances of contemporary music and for his interpretations of music by Czech composers...
described after its Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
première as "one of the most moving compositions he had conducted during the last two decades", have both been performed on four continents.
Awards and honours
Morawetz has received numerous awards for his compositions. His String Quartet No. 1 and Sonata Tragica were both given a CAPAC award. His Concerto No.1 for Piano and Orchestra was the award winning composition in the nation-wide competition sponsored by the Montreal Symphony OrchestraMontreal Symphony Orchestra
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal is a symphony orchestra based in Montréal, Québec, Canada, with Montréal's Place des Arts as its home.-History:...
(1962). His Sinfonietta for Winds and Percussion was chosen as the winning composition of Critics' Award at the International Competition for Contemporary Music in Cava dei Tirreni, Italy (1966). In 1971, From the Diary of Anne Frank received a special award from the J.I. Segal Fund for Jewish Culture
Secular Jewish culture
Secular Jewish culture embraces several related phenomena; above all, it is the international culture of secular communities of Jewish people, but it can also include the cultural contributions of individuals who identify as secular Jews...
in Canada in Montreal for "the most important contribution to Jewish culture and music in Canada." This composition won a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for "Best Classical Composition" in 2001. His Concerto for Harp and Orchestra also won a Juno award in 1989.
On three occasions, Morawetz was awarded a Canada Council
Canada Council
The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown Corporation established in 1957 to act as an arts council of the government of Canada, created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. It funds Canadian artists and...
Senior Arts Fellowship (1960, 1967, 1974) for his contribution to Canadian music. In 1987, Morawetz was the first composer in Canada to receive the Order of Ontario
Order of Ontario
The Order of Ontario is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to...
honouring citizens "who have demonstrated excellence and achievement of the highest degree and distinction", and in 1989 he received the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
for his "outstanding achievements and service". SOCAN also honoured Morawetz in 1994 with the Jan V. Matejcek Concert Music Award, which recognizes a composer with "an unsurpassed number of performances of a vast variety of works executed by world renowned conductors and performers". In 1999, SOCAN once again honoured Morawetz with its highest honour, the Wm. Harold Moon Award for bringing international recognition to Canada through his work. Morawetz was also awarded an honorary diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music
Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto)
The Royal Conservatory of Music, also known as The Royal Conservatory, is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world...
(1998), and the Golden Jubilee Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II...
(2002).
Recordings
A great number of his works have been recorded on disc by ColumbiaColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, RCA Victor
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Sony Classical
Sony BMG Masterworks
Sony Masterworks is a record label. It is the result of a restructuring of Sony Music Entertainment's classical music division. Before the acquisition of Bertelsmann's shares in the former Sony BMG, the label was known as Sony BMG Masterworks....
, the Canadian Music Centre
Canadian Music Centre
The Canadian Music Centre holds Canada's largest collection of Canadian concert music. The CMC exists to promote the works of its Associate Composers in Canada and around the world....
(Centrediscs), and the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
. In 1984 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
issued an anthology of Morawetz's music on seven records. In 2002 the Canadian Music Centre, produced Canadian Composers Portraits, a documentary and music CD set on the pioneering composers to Canadian music.
Professor
Morawetz began teaching at the Royal Conservatory of Music in 1946, and in 1952 was appointed to the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
where he was professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of composition until his retirement in 1982. Among his notable pupils are Tomas Dusatko, Walter Kemp, Muriel Kilby, Larysa Kuzmenko
Larysa Kuzmenko
Larysa Kuzmenko is a Juno Awards-nominated Canadian composer and pianist based in Toronto. Many of her works have been published by Boosey and Hawkes and she has been commissioned to write pieces by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Hannaford Street Silver Band, the International Women's...
, Edward Laufer, Bruce Mather
Bruce Mather
Bruce Mather is a Canadian composer, pianist, and writer who is particularly known for his contributions to contemporary classical music. One of the most notable composers of microtonal music, he was awarded the Jules Léger Prize twice, first in 1979 for his Musique pour Champigny and again in...
, Ben McPeek
Ben McPeek
Benjamin Dewey McPeek was a Canadian composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist. In 1964 he established his own company, Ben McPeek Ltd., which promoted himself as a "jingle" writer for radio and television...
, and Srul Irving Glick
Srul Irving Glick
Srul Irving Glick, CM was a Canadian composer, radio producer, conductor, and teacher.Born in Toronto, Ontario, he received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Toronto 1955, and a Masters of Music , honorary FRCCO...
.
Major Compositions
Orchestral- Carnival Overture (1945)
- Symphony No. 1 (1953)
- Divertimento for Strings (1954)
- Overture to a Fairy Tale (1956)
- Symphony No. 2 (1959)
- Sinfonietta for Strings (1963)
- Passacaglia on a Bach Chorale (1964)
- Sinfonietta for Winds and Percussion (1965)
- Symphonic Intermezzo (1970)
- Railway Station (1979)
- Symphonic Fantasy for Brass and Percussion (1981)
Concertos (Orchestral with soloist)
- Grenadier (1950)
- Elegy (1954)
- I Love the Jocund Dance (1954)
- Land of Dreams (1959)
- Piano Concerto No. 1 (1962)
- Concerto for Brass Quintet and Chamber Orchestra (1967)
- Memorial to Martin Luther King (1968)
- From the Diary of Anne Frank (1970)
- A Child's Garden of Verse (1972)
- Fantasy for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (1974)
- Concerto for Harp and Chamber Orchestra (1975)
- Psalm 22 (1983)
- Concerto for Clarinet and Chamber Orchestra (1989)
- Slavonic Dance in E- (1993)
- Humoresque in G-flat (1993)
- Concerto for Bassoon and Chamber Orchestra (1994)
- Fantasia for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (1994)
Choral Music
- Keep Us Free (1950)
- Two Contrasting Moods (1966)
- Crucifixion (1968)
- Who Has Allowed Us To Suffer? (1970)
- Five Biblical Songs (1981)
- When I Am Laid In Earth (1983)
- Prayer for Freedom (1993)
Vocal Music
- Elegy (1946)
- Piping Down the Valleys Wild (1946)
- Chimney Sweeper (1946)
- Grenadier (1946)
- Mad Song (1946)
- The Fly (1946)
- To The Ottawa River (1948)
- Land of Dreams (1948)
- I Love the Jocund Dance (1948)
- When We Two Parted (1949)
- Cradle Song (1950)
- My True Love Hath My Heart (1954)
- Mother I Cannot Mind My Wheel (1954)
- Sonnets from the Portuguese (1955)
- Four songs on poems by Bliss Carman (1966)
- Father William (1973, 1974, 1981)
- Psalm 22 (1979)
- Little Lamb Who Made Thee? (1981)
- Souvenirs from Childhood (1984)
- The Weaver (1985)
Keyboard Music
- Scherzo (1947)
- Fantasy in D minor (1948)
- Scherzino (1953)
- Fantasy, Elegy and Toccata (1956)
- Ten Preludes for Piano (1961)
- Suite for Piano (1968)
- Young Whale's Lament (1982)
- Four Contrasting Moods (1986)
- Fantasy for Accordion (1988)
- Five Poetic Sketches
Chamber Music
- Duo for Violin and Piano (1947)
- String Quartet No. 2 in A- (1955)
- Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano (1956)
- Trio for Flute, Oboe and Harpsichord (1960)
- Fantasy No. 1 for Cello and Piano (1970)
- Fantasy No. 2 for Cello and Piano' (1970)
- Sonata for Brass Quintet (1976)
- Three fantasies for Oboe and Piano (1976)
- Five Fantasies for String Quartet (Quartet No. 4) (1978)
- Sonata for Flute and Piano (1978)
- Sonata for Horn and Piano (1979)
- Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1980)
- Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (1980)
- Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (1981)
- Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano (1982)
- Four Duets for Flute and Bassoon (1982)
- Sonata for Tuba and Piano (1983)
- Sonata No. 3 for Violin and Piano (1985)
- Sonata for Trumpet and Piano (1985)
- Sonata for Harp and Viola (1985)
- A Child's Cry from Izieu (violin and piano) (1987)
- Tribute to W.A.Mozart (Quartet No. 5) (1990)
- Improvisations on Four Inventions by J.S.Bach (Quartet No. 6) (1992)
Additional reading
- CBC Times October 1949, March 1954, March 1956, December 1959, July 1969 issues
- Canadian Composer March 1967, October 1970, April 1974, March 1982, December 1987 issues
- Musicanada December 1969
- Time magazine June 8, 1970
- The New Yorker April 22, 1972
- Fugue Magazine January 1978
- Classical Music Magazine April/May 1992
- SOCAN: Words and Music December 1999