Composition Matters

Jun 22 2006
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Jennifer Higdon
Jennifer Higdon

Jennifer Higdon (b. Brooklyn, NY, December 31, 1962) maintains a full schedule of commissions, writing on average 6-12 works a year, and is now considered a major figure in contemporary American music.

Higdon's list of commissioners is extensive and include The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chicago Symphony, The Atlanta Symphony, The National Symphony, The Minnesota Orchestra, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Pittsburgh Symphony, The Baltimore Symphony, The Indianapolis Symphony, The Dallas Symphony, The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, St. Lukes Chamber Ensemble, pianist Gary Graffman, the Tokyo String Quartet, the Ying Quartet, eighth blackbird, the Gilmore Piano Festival, and the Philadelphia Singers.

She has been honored with awards and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts & Letters (two awards), the Pew Fellowship in the Arts, Meet-the-Composer, the National Endowment for the Arts, and ASCAP. She is currently Composer-in-Residence with the Philadelphia Singers. Her orchestral work Shine was named Best Contemporary Piece of 1996 by USA Today in their year-end classical picks. In the summer of 2003, she was the first woman to be named a featured composer at the Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival.

Higdon enjoys more than a hundred performances a year of her works. Her orchestral work blue cathedral is one of the most performed contemporary orchestral works in the United States, receiving more than 50 performances in the '04 -'05 season alone. As of February 20, 2005, Higdon's Concerto for Orchestra, commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra, has received 19 performances since its June 2002 premiere.

Her works have been recorded on over 2 dozen CDs. In spring of 2003 Telarc released blue cathedral with the Atlanta Symphony, Robert Spano, conducting, on a disc that made the Classical Billboard charts. Telarc has also recently released Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra/City Scape which was nominated for 4 Grammy Awards.

She holds degrees from Bowling Green State University, University of Pennsylvania, and The Curtis Institute of Music, where she is currently on the composition faculty.

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For my contribution today, I’d like to attempt a few answers to questions that were brought up yesterday by Rob (hausrob):

1. “Would or does the presence of a full-time composer-in-residence with an orchestra have a positive affect on the attitudes of performers towards composers and new music?”

Surprisingly, from what I understand of the very first version of the
Meet-the-Composer residencies more than a decade ago, it does not always help having a composer-in-residence. There were quite a few incidents where composers were asked to leave, and in one orchestra that I work with frequently, the administration and orchestra members were so put off that they declared they would never again have a composer so closely associated with that group. But, there were also many residencies that worked. So the short and succinct answer: It
depends totally on the composer and their personality and how their music “feels” to the musicians. Great good came come of those early residencies, and sometimes, damage. Lisa Bielawa mentioned the importance of composers interacting effectively and positively…it’s paramount in my opinion.

2. In regards to the question of performers being involved in programming…I think orchestra musicians are sadly some of the unhappiest people I’ve ever met. It is a consistent phenomenon, no matter where you are. And I think in everyone’s interest, efforts should be made to change the situation with a great starting point being to allow the musicians to be a part of the programming
process.

3. “Do all of these issues start up at the professional level, or are there opportunities for these issues to be addressed during the education of all involved?”

The issues tend to be on all levels, but most intense in the highest professional levels. I usually receive the greatest number of complaints from the bigger orchestras. I have no idea why this is. But the issues can best be addressed in educating all parties. At Curtis, where I teach, it is paramount that the composers learn how to make proper parts, according to MOLA guidelines, with good page turns, lots of cues, and notes big enough with correct spacing to ease the difficulty of reading new music. The students are also repeatedly required to give presentations in front of groups and to learn how to speak about their music as well as others. So much of my job depends on my relationship with boards, donors, the musicians, and audiences. While every composer’s comfort level is different, I think that practicing does dispel some of the initial anxiety.

About the author

Jennifer Higdon
Jennifer Higdon

Jennifer Higdon (b. Brooklyn, NY, December 31, 1962) maintains a full schedule of commissions, writing on average 6-12 works a year, and is now considered a major figure in contemporary American music.

Higdon's list of commissioners is extensive and include The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chicago Symphony, The Atlanta Symphony, The National Symphony, The Minnesota Orchestra, The Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Pittsburgh Symphony, The Baltimore Symphony, The Indianapolis Symphony, The Dallas Symphony, The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, St. Lukes Chamber Ensemble, pianist Gary Graffman, the Tokyo String Quartet, the Ying Quartet, eighth blackbird, the Gilmore Piano Festival, and the Philadelphia Singers.

She has been honored with awards and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the American Academy of Arts & Letters (two awards), the Pew Fellowship in the Arts, Meet-the-Composer, the National Endowment for the Arts, and ASCAP. She is currently Composer-in-Residence with the Philadelphia Singers. Her orchestral work Shine was named Best Contemporary Piece of 1996 by USA Today in their year-end classical picks. In the summer of 2003, she was the first woman to be named a featured composer at the Tanglewood Contemporary Music Festival.

Higdon enjoys more than a hundred performances a year of her works. Her orchestral work blue cathedral is one of the most performed contemporary orchestral works in the United States, receiving more than 50 performances in the '04 -'05 season alone. As of February 20, 2005, Higdon's Concerto for Orchestra, commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra, has received 19 performances since its June 2002 premiere.

Her works have been recorded on over 2 dozen CDs. In spring of 2003 Telarc released blue cathedral with the Atlanta Symphony, Robert Spano, conducting, on a disc that made the Classical Billboard charts. Telarc has also recently released Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra/City Scape which was nominated for 4 Grammy Awards.

She holds degrees from Bowling Green State University, University of Pennsylvania, and The Curtis Institute of Music, where she is currently on the composition faculty.

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