***Sigma Alpha Iota National Arts Associate
Biography
Jack Gallagher is Professor of Music at The College of Wooster in Ohio. His Symphony in One Movement has been called by American Record Guide "a well-written, moving work;" it noted "the Gallagher alone is worth the price of this well-recorded disc." In Tune magazine has called his music "enormously inventing." The Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that his music "evokes glowing images." The Charleston Post and Courier said of The Persistence of Memory that "the musical textures and sounds were unique." The Washington Post found his Berceuse "a treat" and "a lovely melodic and accessible work."
Mr. Gallagher was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1947. Early instrumental studies included accordion at the Long Island School of Music and Dance and trumpet in the Plainview, New York, Public Schools. He received the B.A. degree cum laude from Hofstra University and earned masters and doctoral degrees in composition from Cornell University.
His principal teachers were Elie Siegmeister, Robert Palmer and Burrill Phillips. He studied with Karel Husa and Thea Musgrave at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and was awarded a fellowship to attend a composition seminar with Ned Rorem at the Petit Jean Art Song Festival in Arkansas. He participated in master classes with Aaron Copland and George Crumb.
Mr. Gallagher's Exotic Dances was nominated by the then-editor of American Music magazine for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize in Music. In the same year, his The Persistence of Memory was selected by the Charleston Symphony orchestra for performance at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.
He was named 1996 Ohio Composer of the Year by the Ohio Music Teachers Association. In 1999 he was Featured Guest Composer at the four-day 37th Annual Contemporary Music Festival at Sam Houston State University. His Diversions was awarded First Prize at the 1987 Symposium for New Band Music at Old Dominion University.
Mr. Gallagher has received awards, grants, fellowships or recognition from the Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Program, the Charles Ives Center for American Music, the Yaddo Corporation, Meet the Composer, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Barlow International Composition Competition, The College of Wooster Henry Luce III Fund for Distinguished Scholarship, The College of Wooster Faculty Development Fund, the Greater Wayne County Foundation, and others.
An experienced performer on the trumpet, he performed two seasons as rotating section trumpet (occasional principal), the National Orchestral Association, New York City, including eight concerts at Carnegie Hall and weekly broadcasts over WNYC-FM. His trumpet teachers included Charles Gouse, Allan Dean, Edward Treutel, Carmine Caruso and James Smith (coach).
He lives in Wooster with his wife, who teaches piano, his daughter and son, and two cats.
Contact Information
Scheide Music Center
The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH 44691
E-mail: j100bg@aol.com
Annual Updates
2008
The Vienna Modern Masters CD of Berceuse, recorded by the Krakow Radio Orchestra directed by Szymon Kawalla, was broadcast 16 times last season on fine arts stations including Radio Stephansdsom Klassiksender, Vienna; KUSC, Los Angeles; KVOD, Denver; WGUC, and MUSIClassicalQUIET, Live365.com, among others. The ERM Media CD of Diversions Overture, recorded by the Kiev Philharmonic under Robert Ian Winstin was aired over several stations, including WGBH, Boston; WGUC, Cincinnati; and MUSIClassical CONCERT Live365.com. The Capstone CD of Nocturne, recorded by pianist Jeri-Mae Astolfi, was heard over WCLV, Cleveland; WGBH, Boston; WPRB, Princeton; and others. The Air Force Band of Flight recording of Proteus Rising from the Sea (Richard Shelton, director) was heard over Contemporary Classical Internet Radio and over MUSIClassical CONCERT Live365.com. One-hour broadcasts of Gallagher’s music were aired by WCLV, Cleveland and WPRB, Princeton. His production of Messiaen’s Oiseaux Exotiques (TNC Records) with pianist Angelin Chang and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, John McLaughlin Williams, conductor, won a 2007 Grammy Award in the classical category “Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra.” Website: www.societyofcomposers.org/user/jackgallagher.html
Premieres
Clarinetist Hild Peersen and pianist Kenneth Williams performed Intimations of Finzi, on August 11 at the International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest 2006, Omni Hotel, Atlanta, GA; the work was also performed by clarinetist Kristina Belisle and pianist Kim Bakkum on October 24 at the University of Akron (OH) and on January 25, 2007, at Bowling Green (OH) State University. Duo for Two Cellos was presented by Anne Leigh and Anna Lemler on May 3, College of Wooster (OH). Sinfonietta, for string orchestra, was introduced November 10, by the Wooster (OH) Symphony Orchestra under the direction of the composer, College of Wooster.
Performancess
David Bowden led the Columbus (IN) Philharmonic in a performance of Berceuse on October 7, 2006, Columbus (IN) North High School; the same work was presented May 3, 2007 by the Dowling Symphony Orchestra conducted by Reynard Burns, Dowling College, Oakdale, NY. Ancient Evenings and Distant Music received two performances from the Albemarle Ensemble, on November 2 at the University of Virginia, and on November 3 at Lynchburg College. Alaska Brass of the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific performed Toccata for Brass Quintet on February 15, 2007, at the Wilda Marston Theater, Loussac Library, Anchorage, AK; the work received another performance March 28 from the University of Mississippi Faculty Brass Quintet, University of Mississippi. A Psalm of Life was performed March 4 by the Wooster (OH) Scot Symphonic Band directed by Nancy Ditmer, College of Wooster; the same ensemble performed the work on its spring tour March 10, Perrysburg (OH) Jr. High School; March 11, Grosse Pointe Woods (MI) Presbyterian Church; March 12, Mason (MI) High School; March 13, Evanston (IL) Township High School; March 14, Lake View (Chicago) Presbyterian Church; and March 16, Independence (OH) High School. The Valparaiso Chamber Concert Band, Jeffrey Doebler, conductor, presented Mist-Covered Mountain April 27 at Valparaiso University; the work was subsequently performed April 29 by the Wooster Scot Symphonic Band led by Ditmer, College of Wooster.
Recordings
International Flavors; includes Berceuse, Columbus Indiana Philharmonic under the direction of David Bowden; CIP CD262.
2007
The Vienna Modern Masters CD of Jack Gallagher’s Berceuse, recorded by the Krakow Radio Orchestra directed by Szymon Kawalla, was broadcast more than 15 times last season on fine arts stations in Vienna, Boston, Los Angeles, Denver, Cincinnati, Birmingham, Hartford, Columbus, Tulsa, and Kent. The ERM Media CD of Diversions Overture, recorded by the Kiev Philharmonic under Robert Ian Winstin was aired in Cincinnati, Palo Alto, and Princeton. The VMM CD of The Persistence of Memory (In Memoriam: Brian Israel) was broadcast in Seattle and Princeton. The Capstone CD of Ancient Evenings and Distant Music was aired in Boston, Fresno, and Iowa City. The Air Force Band of Flight recording of Proteus Rising from the Sea, directed by Lt. Col. Richard Shelton, and an interview with Producer Bruce Duffie, were broadcast New Year’s Day 2006 over WNUR, Evanston. Springsong was performed by the College of Wooster (OH) Singers, directed by James Mismas and by the University of Iowa Women’s Chorale, conducted by Anne Lyman. The composer’s website is at: www.societyofcomposers.org/user/jackgallagher.html.
Premieres
Dance No More (after Thomas Chatterton), was introduced by the Wooster (OH) High School Concert Choir, directed by Amy Gilbert. Springsong (after Shakespeare), was first heard on May 1 in a performance by the Wayne Center for the Arts Children’s Chorus, under the direction of Toni Shreve, at Dalton (OH) High School.
Performances
Toccata for Brass Quintet was introduced by the Lamoine Brass Quintet in a performance at Western Illinois University and again, in a concert by the Academia Brass Quintet in Seoul, Korea. The Virginia Tech University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by Patrick Casey, performed A Psalm of Life January 20, 2006 at the Ninth Annual Honor Band Weekend, Blacksburg in VA; and the Cincinnati (OH) College-Conservatory Symphony Band, under the direction of Terence Milligan, performed the work again on January 31. Jeffrey Doebler led the Valparaiso University Chamber Concert Band in a performance of Diversions: Triptych for Symphonic Band on April 28; the Overture from Diversions was heard April 30 as performed by the Wooster (OH) Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of the composer, at the College of Wooster. The composer also led the Wooster Scot Symphonic Band in a May 14 performance of Proteus Rising from the Sea, for the College of Wooster Commencement Concert. The piano solo Nocturne received performances from Jeri-Mae Astolfi at Henderson State University, AR; at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock; at Pensacola Junior College; at Florida State University; at the University of South Florida School of Music; and at The College Music Society/Society of Composers, Inc. 2006 National Conference, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX.
Publications
Sonata Breve, unaccompanied trumpet; Three Little Waltzes and Pastorale, piano; both by Editions BIM (Vuarmarens, Switzerland).
Recordings
Nocturne, Jeri-Mae Astolfi, pianist, Society of Composers, Inc. Performers Series, Capstone Records. Diversions Overture, Kiev Philharmonic, Robert Ian Winstin, Conductor; Masterworks of the New Era, vol. 7, ERMMedia ERM-6709. Sonata for Trumpet Unaccompanied, Frederic Presle, trumpet, Monophony for Trumpet Alone, Promuse 5702.