Shirish Korde
Encyclopedia
Shirish Korde is a composer who was born in Uganda
to India
n parents. He is the Chair of the Music Department at the College of the Holy Cross
(Worcester, MA) and has previously been on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music
, the New England Conservatory, and Brown University
. Korde studied jazz
and composition at the Berklee College of Music, analysis and composition at the New England Conservatory, and ethnomusicology
at Brown University.
His works include:
Korde has composed five large-scale music-theatre works:
These works exhibit influences of Asian dramatic and musical forms, especially Balinese
gamelan
and shadow puppetry, Vedic chant, Tuva
music from Central Asia
, North Indian Tala
, and shakuhachi music. Jazz elements and computer voice synthesis techniques are also incorporated into his music-theater works.
He was described by Computer Music Journal
as one the few "contemporary composers who have been deeply touched by music of non-Western cultures, jazz, and computer technology and who has created a powerful and communicative compositional language."
Korde is the founder of Neuma Records.
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n parents. He is the Chair of the Music Department at the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
(Worcester, MA) and has previously been on the faculty of the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
, the New England Conservatory, and Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. Korde studied jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and composition at the Berklee College of Music, analysis and composition at the New England Conservatory, and ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
at Brown University.
His works include:
- Tenderness of Cranes, for solo flute, influenced by JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese shakuhachiShakuhachiThe is a Japanese end-blown flute. It is traditionally made of bamboo, but versions now exist in ABS and hardwoods. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of...
techniques - Time Grids, for amplified guitar and tape
- Constellations, for saxophone quartet
- Drowned Woman of the Sky, a song cycle based on poems by Pablo NerudaPablo NerudaPablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
- Nesting Cranes (2006), for solo flute and strings, premiered by Jennifer Gunn and the Chicago Symphony OrchestraChicago Symphony OrchestraThe Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
under Ludovic MorlotLudovic MorlotLudovic Morlot , is a French conductor.As a youth, Morlot trained as a violinist. He later attended the Royal Academy of Music, and began his studies in conducting in London in 1994, where his mentors included Sir Colin Davis, George Hurst and Colin Metters. At the Royal College of Music, he was... - Svara-Yantra (2005), a violin concerto premiered by the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra with soloist Joanna Kurkowicz, who also played the American premiere
- Songs of Ecstasy (2008)
- Zikhr: Songs of Longing (2009) for soprano, flute, string trio, harp, tabla and percussion, premiered by the Chameleon Arts Ensemble of Boston
Korde has composed five large-scale music-theatre works:
- Chitra (2003), commissioned by Boston Musica VivaBoston Musica VivaBoston Musica Viva is a Boston, Massachusetts-based music ensemble founded by its Music Director, Richard Pittman, in 1969 and dedicated to contemporary music.-Composers and compositions:...
and premiered by that ensemble at a concert sponsored by the Celebrity Series of BostonCelebrity Series of BostonThe Celebrity Series of Boston is a non-profit performing arts presenter established in Boston, Massachusetts by Boston impresario Aaron Richmond in 1938 as Aaron Richmond's Celebrity Series.... - Rasa (1999)
- Bhima's Journey
- The Separate Prison
- The Conquistadors
- Phoolan Devi: The Bandit Queen (2010), a multi-media opera based on the life of Phoolan DeviPhoolan DeviPhoolan Devi , popularly known as the "Bandit Queen", was an Indian dacoit and later a politician. After being gang-raped by some upper-caste members of her gang, Phoolan Devi turned a bandit, and killed 22 upper-caste villagers in 1981. Following this, she became notorious across India as a bandit...
based on a libretto he authored with Lynn Kremer, who directed the premiere performances by Boston Musica VivaBoston Musica VivaBoston Musica Viva is a Boston, Massachusetts-based music ensemble founded by its Music Director, Richard Pittman, in 1969 and dedicated to contemporary music.-Composers and compositions:...
at Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
's Tsai Performance Center.
These works exhibit influences of Asian dramatic and musical forms, especially Balinese
Balinese people
The Balinese population of 3.0 million live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 89% of the island's population. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok, and in the eastern-most regions of Java The Balinese population of 3.0 million (1.5% of Indonesia's population) live...
gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
and shadow puppetry, Vedic chant, Tuva
Tuva
The Tyva Republic , or Tuva , is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the geographical center of Asia, in southern Siberia. The republic borders with the Altai Republic, the Republic of Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, and the Republic of Buryatia in Russia and with Mongolia to the...
music from Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, North Indian Tala
Tala (music)
Tāla, Taal or Tal is the term used in Indian classical music for the rhythmic pattern of any composition and for the entire subject of rhythm, roughly corresponding to metre in Western music, though closer conceptual equivalents are to be found in other Asian classical systems such as the notion...
, and shakuhachi music. Jazz elements and computer voice synthesis techniques are also incorporated into his music-theater works.
He was described by Computer Music Journal
Computer Music Journal
Computer Music Journal is an American academic journal that covers a wide range of topics related to digital audio signal processing and electroacoustic music. It is published on-line and in hard copy by MIT Press. The magazine is accompanied by an annual CD/DVD that collects audio and video work...
as one the few "contemporary composers who have been deeply touched by music of non-Western cultures, jazz, and computer technology and who has created a powerful and communicative compositional language."
Korde is the founder of Neuma Records.