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Biography
Brian Fennelly (born 1937) studied at Yale with Mel Powell, Donald Martino, Allen Forte, Gunther Schuller and George Perle (M.Mus 1965, Ph.D. 1968). In 1968 he joined the Faculty of Arts and Science at New York University, from which he retired as Professor of Music in 1997. In addition to a Guggenheim fellowship, his awards include three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and commissions from the Koussevitsky Foundation and Meet the Composer/Reader's Digest as well as from the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra. In 1997 he received a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
His music has been awarded prizes in many competitions, which include the Goffredo Petrassi Competition for Orchestral Music (1993), International Trumpet Guild Competition (First Prize, 1990), the Louisville Orchestra New Music Competition (First Prize, 1986), Shreveport Symphony Competition (1981), and the Premio Citta di Trieste (1981). Over a dozen of his works appear on CD, with orchestral and chamber music released on the New World, CRI, Pro Viva, First Edition, Capstone, and New Ariel labels. Orchestral releases include Fantasy Variations, In Wildness is the Preservation of the World, On Civil Disobedience, and A Sprig of Andromeda, the last three all Thoreau-inspired works.
Brian Fennelly's music has been performed by several orchestras including the Rochester Philharmonic, American Composers Orchestra, and The Louisville Orchestra, as well as by chamber ensembles such as the American and Empire Brass Quintets, and the Concord and Audubon String Quartets. His choral music has been sung by the Gregg Smith Singers and the New York Virtuoso Singers, among others. International performances include two at the Warsaw Autumn (Poland) and four at the ISCM world Music Days (Iceland, Israel, Belgium, and Canada), with recordings by The Louisville Orchestra, Polish Chamber Orchestra, Prague Radio Orchestra, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Polish Radio National Symphony.
Fennelly's music is published by Margun Music (Boston): MMB Music, Inc. (St. Louis), Pro Nova (Munich), Ricordi (Milan), and American Composers Edition (New York). In addition to composing and teaching, he has been active as officer and board member in a number of music organizations; he also co-directs the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society, which he founded in 1976.
Fennelly resides in Kingston, New York with his wife Jacqueline, who played French horn with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic for many years. Liam Fennelly, a son from a previous marriage, is a viola da gamba player now living in Europe.
Contact Information
Schryver Court
Kingston, NY 12401
E-mail: FennellyBL@aol.com
Annual Updates
2010
NEWS
Brian Fennelly is Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Arts and Science at New York University and co-director of the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society, now in its 33rd season of concerts in New York City.
PREMIERES
Duo Parnas gave the first performance of ‘Sigol’ for Two, a fantasy duo for violin and cello, May 26, 2009, at the NYCC concert in St. Peter’s Church, Citicorp Center; a further performance was given June 17 at the Thalia Theatre, New York, NY, as part of the ACA Festival of American Music, and in recital at SUNY Oneonta on September 8. Maverick Tango was first heard November 29 in a performance by guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz, Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, New York, while Skyscapes IV was presented December 3 by the Washington Square Ensemble under Scott Voyles at Merkin Hall, New York. The Other Side of Time, a 12-minute work for 30 players (25 winds, 5 percussionists) was introduced February 25 by the commissioning group, Charles Peltz and the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, Jordan Hall, NEC, Boston, MA.
PERFORMANCES
Trumpeter Judson Scott and pianist Cristina Valdes performed Corollary III in a newly revised version in recitals on January 16 on the “Music Off the Walls” series sponsored by Northwest Sinfonietta at the Tacoma (WA) Art Museum, and on January 23 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Seattle, WA.
PUBLICATIONS
Fantasia Concertante, violin, cello, and orchestra; The Other Side of Time, symphonic winds and percussion; both by American Composers Edition (American Composers Alliance). All chamber music titles previously published by Margun Music (now G. Schirmer) as well as all titles previously published by MMB Music (now Keiser Music) have reverted to American Composers Edition, including Tesserae I, III, VII, and IX; For Solo Flute, Scintilla Prisca (cello/piano version), Fantasy Variations, Lunar Halos, and Tropes and Echoes (both orchestra and chamber versions).
RECORDINGS
Gare du Nord, contains ‘Sigol’ for Two; Duo Parnas; Sheffield Lab.
2009
Brian Fennelly is Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Arts and Science at New York University and co-director of the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society, now in its 32nd season of concerts in New York City. Skyscapes: Chamber Music of Brian Fennelly, a CD released in November 2007 by Albany Records (TROY CD 980), was enthusiastically reviewed in the May-June 2008 issue of American Record Guide. Sigol for Two was the winner of the 2008 New York Composers Circle Competition and will be premiered on a Parnas Duo concert, May 2009.
PREMIERES
Sigol for Strings, a 15-minute work in two movements for string orchestra, was introduced by the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra led by David Leighton on February 29 and March 1-2, 2008, at Bard College, Annandale, NY; Pointe of Praise, Kingston, NY; and the Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock, NY. On June 4, 2008, as part of the ACA Festival of American Music, the New York Virtuoso Singers under Harold Rosenbaum premiered Soon Shall the Winter’s Foil, a setting of poetry by Walt Whitman, in the Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space, New York, NY. Guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz premiered Maverick Prelude and Tango, with the newly composed Prelude written especially for him, June 6, on the Music of Invention series, Trinity Episcopal Church, Asbury Park, NJ. Fragment (2008) for bass clarinet and piano, written for a CD planned by clarinetist Henri Bok, was premiered by Duo Alea (Michael and Kim Davenport) at the University of Washington, Tacoma, WA, in May 2008. On December 1, 2008, at Merkin Hall, New York, NY, Sock Monkeys in the version for two flutes was premiered by Patricia Spencer and Tara Helen O’Connor, for whom it was written,
PERFORMANCES
‘Tango’ from Tombeau and Tango was played by the New York Consort of Viols in recital at The Church of the Transfiguration, New York, NY, on February 17, 2008. At a 70th birthday celebration concert May 5, by the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society at Merkin Hall, New York, NY, Tropes and Echoes, a concerto for clarinet and chamber ensemble, was performed by soloist Jean Kopperud and the Washington Square Ensemble under conductor Louis Karchin; two days later, these artists recorded the work with engineer Judith Sherman at SUNY Purchase. Sigol Musings for solo violin was performed by Rolf Schulte on a NACUSA concert at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church, New York, NY, on May 20. The American Brass Quintet played Three Chorale Preludes, music of Brahms arranged by Fennelly, July 23, Aspen (CO) Music Festival.
PUBLICATIONS
Sigol for Strings, string orchestra; Maverick Prelude and Tango, guitar; Fragment, bass clarinet and piano; ‘Sigol’ for Two, fantasy duo for violin and cello written for the Parnas Duo; 2008 revision of Corollary III for trumpet and piano; all by American Composers Edition (American Composers Alliance).
RECORDINGS
Sigol for Strings was recorded in the Czech Republic for future release on August 29, 2008, with conductor Joel Eric Suben. The Parnas Duo will record ‘Sigol’ for Two for their second Sheffield Lab CD in spring 2009.
2008
As an Aaron Copland Award winner, Brian Fennelly was resident composer at Copland House during November 2007. He is Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Arts and Science at New York University and co-director of the Washington Square Contemporary Music Society (www.wscms.org), now in its 31st season of concerts in New York. As winner of the 2007 Portland Chamber Music Festival (PCMF) Composers Competition, a slightly abridged Skyscapes III was performed by the PCMF at Hannaford Hall on the campus of the University of Southern Maine at Portland, Maine on August 25. The performers were flutist Nicole Rabata, clarinetist Todd Palmer, violinist Lydia Forbes, cellist Michael Kannen, and pianist Dena Levine.
Premieres
Several movements from Skyscapes IV for flute, oboe, violin, cello, and guitar were performed by the Cygnus Ensemble at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY on December 4, 2007; a complete performance is planned for later in the season. Guitarist Stanley Alexandrowicz premiered Maverick Tango on December 7 for Music of Invention, Trinity Episcopal Church, Asbury Park, NJ.
Performances
Sigol Musings for solo violin was performed by Rolf Schulte at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY on November 11, 2006, and again at the Everson Museum, Syracuse, NY, on November 12, on a program presented by the Society for New Music.
Publications
Sock Monkeys, three canonic pieces in versions for two flutes and two clarinets; Psalm XIII, SSATBB chorus, two trumpets, two trombones; Two Movements for Wind Quartet, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, trombone (revised editions); all by American Composers Edition (American Composers Alliance).
Recordings
Skyscapes: Chamber Music of Brian Fennelly, was released in November by Albany Records (TROY CD 980). The album contains Skyscapes III and Sukhi! performed by the Da Capo Chamber Players; Arias and Interludes (String Quartet No. 2), a Koussevitsky Foundation commission performed by the Pro Arte Quartet; Canzona and Dance performed by counter)induction; and Three Piano Pieces (Monogram, Tangoblique, and ThingamaBob) played by Blair McMillen, who is the pianist of both Da Capo and counter)induction. The recording was supported in part by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust.