Andrew Thomas
Encyclopedia
Andrew William Thomas (born October 8, 1939 in Ithaca
, New York
) is an American composer
.
He studied with Karel Husa
at Cornell University
, with Nadia Boulanger
in Paris
, and earned his M.M. and D.M.A. Degrees in Composition at The Juilliard School
. At Juilliard he studied with Luciano Berio
, Elliot Carter, and Otto Luening
.
Thomas teaches and was the chairman of the Composition Department at the Pre-College Division at Juilliard from 1969 to 1994. In 1994, the Juilliard School appointed him the Director of the Pre-College Division. In addition to composing, Dr. Thomas performs as a pianist, conductor, and is a guest teacher throughout the world. His many awards include a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts
and a Distinguished Teacher Citation from The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.
. Under the auspices of the Chinese Government, Dr. Thomas performed his composition for solo piano, Music at Twilight in Hong Kong
and Guangzhou
. He was the head western judge of a panel of pianists from all over the world judging the 2000 Chinese Works Piano Competition.
In December 2001, Dr. Thomas went to Nanning
, China to conduct his Three Scenes from the Summer Palace and other works, to perform as a pianist, and to teach master classes in composition. Dr. Thomas is now an Advisor of the Guangxi Arts College and a guest conductor of the Guangxi Arts College Youth Orchestra. He has returned yearly for further conducting and solo performances. He was honored as the main Western speaker at a conference of middle school administrators and government officials from all parts of China.
In an effort to upgrade music education throughout China, Dr. Thomas developed a program which brought together music academies in an effort to advance all the students’ technical and artistic abilities in Western as well as Asian music
. In April 2004 he conducted the Shanghai Conservatory Youth Orchestra and the Nanning Symphony in a three concerto evening with student soloists from Shanghai
, Nanning
and, Juilliard.
He is currently composing a new evening length cross-cultural ballet, "Focus of the Heart" for the Chinese people with an original story written by his partner Howard Kessler. The score utilizes both full Traditional Chinese and Western orchestras. It is scheduled to be premiered Fall 2009 in Beijing.
Since 2003 Dr. Thomas has lectured, taught, and performed in Korea
at a music festival
that he co-directed. This festival, The Seoul Music Festival and Academy brings together Western and Korean teachers to perform and to teach advanced String and Piano students. He conducted two programs with the Prime Symphony Orchestra, and one with the Suwon Philharmonic, then another program for the Korean Symphony Orchestra, including his concerto for marimba and orchestra, Loving Mad Tom, all in Seoul
, Korea.
On October 9, 2004 Dr. Andrew Thomas gave a piano recital in the Juilliard Theater at the Juilliard School celebrating his 65th birthday, 35 years teaching at the Juilliard School and ten years as its Pre-College director. After twelve years he stepped down from his administrative position in 2006 to concentrate on his composition works, to teach and to foster the musical talents of young international "Citizens of the World". At his farewell party Juilliard bestowed upon him the title of Director Emeritus.
Dr. Thomas has also orchestrated his music for lyricist, Gene Scheer‘s Lean Away and ‘I Just Found Another New Voice Teacher‘ for a Metropolitan Opera
performance of Die Fledermau.
conducted The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
in Dr. Thomas's marimba concerto, Loving Mad Tom with Evelyn Glennie
as the soloist, Jürgen Otten of Der Tagespiel wrote "... his arsenal of romantic ghost music from Weber to Berlioz to Liszt
is recognized here, and sound-consciously conveyed into the modern idiom"
Ithaca
Ithaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) is an American composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
He studied with Karel Husa
Karel Husa
Karel Husa is a Czech-born classical composer and conductor, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize and 1993 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Music Composition...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, with Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and earned his M.M. and D.M.A. Degrees in Composition at The Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
. At Juilliard he studied with Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio
Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian composer. He is noted for his experimental work and also for his pioneering work in electronic music.-Biography:Berio was born at Oneglia Luciano Berio, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI (October 24, 1925 – May 27, 2003) was an Italian...
, Elliot Carter, and Otto Luening
Otto Luening
Otto Clarence Luening was a German-American composer and conductor, and an early pioneer of tape music and electronic music....
.
Thomas teaches and was the chairman of the Composition Department at the Pre-College Division at Juilliard from 1969 to 1994. In 1994, the Juilliard School appointed him the Director of the Pre-College Division. In addition to composing, Dr. Thomas performs as a pianist, conductor, and is a guest teacher throughout the world. His many awards include a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
and a Distinguished Teacher Citation from The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars.
Career
Although he has taught throughout the world, since 2000, Andrew Thomas has become a regular guest of the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Under the auspices of the Chinese Government, Dr. Thomas performed his composition for solo piano, Music at Twilight in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. He was the head western judge of a panel of pianists from all over the world judging the 2000 Chinese Works Piano Competition.
In December 2001, Dr. Thomas went to Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
, China to conduct his Three Scenes from the Summer Palace and other works, to perform as a pianist, and to teach master classes in composition. Dr. Thomas is now an Advisor of the Guangxi Arts College and a guest conductor of the Guangxi Arts College Youth Orchestra. He has returned yearly for further conducting and solo performances. He was honored as the main Western speaker at a conference of middle school administrators and government officials from all parts of China.
In an effort to upgrade music education throughout China, Dr. Thomas developed a program which brought together music academies in an effort to advance all the students’ technical and artistic abilities in Western as well as Asian music
Asian music
Asian music encompasses numerous different musical styles originating from a large number of Asian countries.Musical traditions in Asia* Music of Central Asia** Music of Afghanistan** Music of Kazakhstan** Music of Mongolia** Music of Uzbekistan...
. In April 2004 he conducted the Shanghai Conservatory Youth Orchestra and the Nanning Symphony in a three concerto evening with student soloists from Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Nanning
Nanning
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
and, Juilliard.
He is currently composing a new evening length cross-cultural ballet, "Focus of the Heart" for the Chinese people with an original story written by his partner Howard Kessler. The score utilizes both full Traditional Chinese and Western orchestras. It is scheduled to be premiered Fall 2009 in Beijing.
Since 2003 Dr. Thomas has lectured, taught, and performed in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
at a music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
that he co-directed. This festival, The Seoul Music Festival and Academy brings together Western and Korean teachers to perform and to teach advanced String and Piano students. He conducted two programs with the Prime Symphony Orchestra, and one with the Suwon Philharmonic, then another program for the Korean Symphony Orchestra, including his concerto for marimba and orchestra, Loving Mad Tom, all in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Korea.
On October 9, 2004 Dr. Andrew Thomas gave a piano recital in the Juilliard Theater at the Juilliard School celebrating his 65th birthday, 35 years teaching at the Juilliard School and ten years as its Pre-College director. After twelve years he stepped down from his administrative position in 2006 to concentrate on his composition works, to teach and to foster the musical talents of young international "Citizens of the World". At his farewell party Juilliard bestowed upon him the title of Director Emeritus.
Works
- Loving Mad Tom, a concerto for marimbaMarimbaThe marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
and orchestra, - Merlin for solo marimba, commissioned by William Moersch,
- Three Transformations for duo marimbas, commissioned by Nancy ZeltsmanNancy ZeltsmanInternational Marimba Soloist, Nancy Zeltsman has taught at the Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music since 1993.-Biography:Zeltsman was born in 1958 in Morristown, New Jersey...
, - Consonanze Stravaganti commissioned by American Brass QuintetAmerican Brass QuintetWhen the American Brass Quintet gave its first public performance on December 11, 1960, brass chamber music was still relatively unknown to concert audiences...
, - The Heroic Triad, concerto for guitar, percussion, and string orchestra composed for Twentieth Century Unlimited
- Wind for solo Marimba, composed for Makoto Nakura,
- For the class of 2003 composed for Renée FlemingRenée FlemingRenée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...
, - Valse Triste, a solo marimba work for Simon Boyar,
- Crane by the River Li for the Traditional Chinese Instrument Orchestra of the Guangxi Arts College in NanningNanningNanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, - A Samba for two solo flutes, two flute choirs, and chamber orchestra,
- Music at Twilight for solo piano,
- Three Scenes from the Summer Palace.
Dr. Thomas has also orchestrated his music for lyricist, Gene Scheer‘s Lean Away and ‘I Just Found Another New Voice Teacher‘ for a Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
performance of Die Fledermau.
Reviews
After Vladimir AshkenazyVladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
conducted The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin is an orchestra based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1946 by American occupation forces as the RIAS-Symphonie-Orchester . It was also known as the American Sector Symphony Orchestra...
in Dr. Thomas's marimba concerto, Loving Mad Tom with Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie
Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She was the first full-time solo percussionist in 20th-century western society.-Early life:Glennie was born and raised in Aberdeenshire...
as the soloist, Jürgen Otten of Der Tagespiel wrote "... his arsenal of romantic ghost music from Weber to Berlioz to Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
is recognized here, and sound-consciously conveyed into the modern idiom"