Barbara Harbach
Encyclopedia
Barbara Harbach is a composer
, harpsichord
ist, organist
and teacher. Since 2004, she has been Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her appointment to a fully tenured faculty position was made under the leadership of her husband, the Chancellor of the university.
(MMA) universities and obtained her doctorate from the Eastman School of Music
. She also studied at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt
, Germany
with Helmut Walcha
, although her relationship with Walcha was difficult as he "did not believe that women belonged on the organ bench".
In 2002, she received an honorary doctorate of music degree from Wilmington College, Wilmington, Ohio
.
Before her appointment at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, she was Professor of Music at Washington State University
from 1991 to 1997, Visiting Professor of Music at University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh from 1997 to 2000 and Visiting Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
from 2000 to 2003.
. She presented a weekly television music series, Palouse Performance, broadcast in the North-Western region of the United States. She has also made numerous recordings of organ and harpsichord music. When reviewing one of her Bach recordings in May/June 1988, the American Record Guide said that "She deserves to be recognized as one of the eminent Bach players among organists of the present day, in both the United States and in Europe."
In 1989, Harbach founded Vivace Press, a music publishing company specialising in works by women and other traditionally under-represented composers. She produces performing editions of 18th-century keyboard music. She has been the editor of Women of Note Quarterly since 2003.
In October of 2009, Harbach's opera O Pioneers!
, based upon the Willa Cather
novel
, received its world premiere at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
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...
, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ist, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and teacher. Since 2004, she has been Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her appointment to a fully tenured faculty position was made under the leadership of her husband, the Chancellor of the university.
Background and appointments
Barbara Harbach studied at Penn State (BA) and YaleYALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
(MMA) universities and obtained her doctorate from the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
. She also studied at the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with Helmut Walcha
Helmut Walcha
Helmut Walcha was a blind German organist who specialized in the works of the Dutch and German baroque masters and is known for his recordings of the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach.- Biography :Born in Leipzig, Walcha was blinded at age 19 after vaccination for smallpox...
, although her relationship with Walcha was difficult as he "did not believe that women belonged on the organ bench".
In 2002, she received an honorary doctorate of music degree from Wilmington College, Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
.
Before her appointment at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, she was Professor of Music at Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
from 1991 to 1997, Visiting Professor of Music at University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh from 1997 to 2000 and Visiting Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point is a public university located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin...
from 2000 to 2003.
Public performances
Harbach has given organ and harpsichord recitals in North America, Asia, Europe and also in SiberiaSiberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. She presented a weekly television music series, Palouse Performance, broadcast in the North-Western region of the United States. She has also made numerous recordings of organ and harpsichord music. When reviewing one of her Bach recordings in May/June 1988, the American Record Guide said that "She deserves to be recognized as one of the eminent Bach players among organists of the present day, in both the United States and in Europe."
Publications and compositions
Her first published composition was Praise Him with the Trumpet for choir and organ, published in 1977. Her compositions include works for symphony orchestra, string orchestra, organ, harpsichord, choir and chamber ensemble. She has also arranged Baroque pieces for brass and organ. She has written two symphonies: Veneration for Orchestra (first performed in 2004 at Wilmington College, Ohio) and One of Ours – a Cather Symphony (first performed by the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra).In 1989, Harbach founded Vivace Press, a music publishing company specialising in works by women and other traditionally under-represented composers. She produces performing editions of 18th-century keyboard music. She has been the editor of Women of Note Quarterly since 2003.
In October of 2009, Harbach's opera O Pioneers!
O Pioneers! (opera)
O Pioneers! is an American opera in two acts by composer Barbara Harbach set to a libretto by Jonathan Yordy. It is based on the 1913 novel by Willa Cather. Harbach became enamored with Willa Cather's works when the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra commissioned her to write a symphony based on...
, based upon the Willa Cather
Willa Cather
Willa Seibert Cather was an American author who achieved recognition for her novels of frontier life on the Great Plains, in works such as O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, and The Song of the Lark. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours , a novel set during World War I...
novel
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers! is a 1913 novel by American author Willa Cather. It was written in part when Cather was living in Cherry Valley, New York, with Isabelle McClung and was completed at the McClungs' home in Pittsburgh...
, received its world premiere at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.