Annual American Composers Update

Karel Husa

SAI National Arts Associate Karel Husa spends May through Oct. in Ithaca, NY, and Nov. through Apr. in Ponce Inlet, FL. In May 1997 he received his sixth honorary degree, a Doctor of Music degree from Hartwick College. Last season he visited Bowling Green State University, Northwestern University, Chicago, Michigan, Sam Houston State University, and the University of Connecticut. G. Schirmer/AMP has issued a new brochure of his works.

Premieres

String Quartet No. 4 received its Prague premiere in March 1997 as part of the Czech Philharmonic chamber series, and was heard in the United States with the Colorado Quartet, in Wooster, OH and at the National Gallery, Washington, DC. On Aug. 1, 1997, John Sampen, saxophone, and Marilyn Schrude, piano, presented Postcard from Home (1997), in Taipei, Taiwan. On Oct. 16, 1997, Victor Pablo Perez conducted the Orquesta de Galicia in the first performance of Celebración (1997), in La Coruna, Spain. St. Louis Symphony members introduced Variations, May 1997. Les Couleurs Fauves (1995) was presented by the Northwestern University Wind Ensemble, Nov. 16, 1996, in Evanston, IL, followed by productions in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, University of Connecticut, Baton Rouge, Norway, and The Netherlands.

Performances

On Mar. 2, 1997, the Larvik (Norway) Wind Orchestra, under O. T. Lysebo, played Couleurs Fauves. The Suk Quartet performed String Quartet No. 4 at a Chamber Society Prague concert at Dvorak Hall, Mar. 10, 1997. In March 1997, Husa guest conducted Apotheosis of the Earth with wind orchestras at Michigan State University and at Sam Houston State University. Recent performances of Music for Prague 1968 occurred with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, under Zdenek Macal, at the Prague Spring Music Festival, June 2, 1997; with the Jacksonville (FL) Symphony, under Husa, in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach; in Sao Paulo, Brazil, under Frank Battisti; at Peabody Conservatory, under Harlam Parker; at the University of Connecticut; and in Washington, DC, with the U. S. Marine Band, led by Major D. Burian. Michael Salmirs presented Sonata for Piano in Ithaca and Syracuse, NY, April 1997.

Publications

Concerto for Trumpet; AMP/G. Schirmer.

Recordings

Smetana Fanfare and Concerto for Wind Orchestra; both by Summit Records. String Quartet No. 4; Albany Records. Violin Sonata; Piano Sonata No. 4; Moravian Songs; all by New World Records. Music for Prague; Symphony No. 2; Fresque; all by Marco Polo.

Further Information

For more complete information, see Karel Husa's entry in our Composers Bureau Online.