Craig First
Encyclopedia
C. P. First American composer of the avant-garde, was born (March 16, 1960) in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Recognized primarily for his chamber music, he also has composed opera, orchestral and electronic music. His music is characterized by its taut and often disturbing drama and carefully calculated, discordant atonal language.
where he studied with the Pulitzer prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran
. He earned his Doctoral degree (1990) from Northwestern University
. During his years as a graduate student, First became deeply entrenched in the electronic and computer media that often reside at the core of his compositional output.
Whilst an undergraduate student, First was commissioned by Charles Moore and the ACM Chamber Opera of Chicago to write the one-act opera, The Soul of Rose Dede. His work caught the attention of influential cultural figures in Chicago, including impressario Dalia Kuceanas who introduced the young composer to important European musicians. These introductions led to the commission of several works, including Two by One (solo violin) for the pre-eminent Russian violinist, Raimundas Katillus, who performed the composer's music at Carnegie Hall. Immediately following First's Carnegie Hall debut, performances of his works appeared throughout Europe and the major performance centers in the U. S. Among the important European musicians with whom First came in contact was the brilliant Greek virtuoso, Dimitris Marinos. Perhaps First's most well-known work, Tantrum, was written for Marinos who performed the work widely in Europe and the U.S. including the World Music Days in England, the World Music Days in Luxembourg, and Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall. The two musicians, Marinos and First, collaborated on two other works Epiphany and Contrapuntal Variations I commissioned by Commissioning Music/USA.
Although in recent years somewhat reclusive, the composer persistently emerges with new works that invariably receive critical acclaim. Most recently, his collaboration with New York filmmaker Matt Marello on the eccentric multi-media collaboration, The Eternal Return (2002), received worldwide attention, including performances on the America in Berlin exhibit at the Berlin Academy of Art.
In addition to his work as a composer, C. P. First has contributed to the introduction of new works in his service as Artistic Director with the Chicago 21st Century Music Ensemble. Founded in 1992 by First and conductor Gui Bordo, the Chicago 21st Century Music Ensemble remains an important contemporary music group in Chicago.
From 1990 until 1995, First served as a Lecturer in Theory and Composition at Northwestern University and DePaul University
. In 1995, First accepted a post at the University of Alabama
where he is Professor and Chair of Composition and Theory.
sonnets, and Zu wissen was kein Engel weiss (1990-double orchestra and quadrophonic tape). His most recent music includes The Eternal Return, a multimedia work for five ensembles and five films created by New York filmmaker Matt Marello. His work was recently included in the New York Museum of Modern Art
America in Berlin exhibition at the Berlin Academy of Art.
Biography
Whilst still in his early teens, C. P. First began composing works of an experimental nature. After completing his primary education, he pursued composition studies in Chicago, Illinois where he studied at the American Conservatory, then at the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
where he studied with the Pulitzer prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran
Shulamit Ran
Shulamit Ran is an Israeli-American composer. She moved from Israel to New York at 14, as a scholarship student at the Mannes College of Music. Her Symphony won her the Pulitzer Prize...
. He earned his Doctoral degree (1990) from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. During his years as a graduate student, First became deeply entrenched in the electronic and computer media that often reside at the core of his compositional output.
Whilst an undergraduate student, First was commissioned by Charles Moore and the ACM Chamber Opera of Chicago to write the one-act opera, The Soul of Rose Dede. His work caught the attention of influential cultural figures in Chicago, including impressario Dalia Kuceanas who introduced the young composer to important European musicians. These introductions led to the commission of several works, including Two by One (solo violin) for the pre-eminent Russian violinist, Raimundas Katillus, who performed the composer's music at Carnegie Hall. Immediately following First's Carnegie Hall debut, performances of his works appeared throughout Europe and the major performance centers in the U. S. Among the important European musicians with whom First came in contact was the brilliant Greek virtuoso, Dimitris Marinos. Perhaps First's most well-known work, Tantrum, was written for Marinos who performed the work widely in Europe and the U.S. including the World Music Days in England, the World Music Days in Luxembourg, and Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall. The two musicians, Marinos and First, collaborated on two other works Epiphany and Contrapuntal Variations I commissioned by Commissioning Music/USA.
Although in recent years somewhat reclusive, the composer persistently emerges with new works that invariably receive critical acclaim. Most recently, his collaboration with New York filmmaker Matt Marello on the eccentric multi-media collaboration, The Eternal Return (2002), received worldwide attention, including performances on the America in Berlin exhibit at the Berlin Academy of Art.
In addition to his work as a composer, C. P. First has contributed to the introduction of new works in his service as Artistic Director with the Chicago 21st Century Music Ensemble. Founded in 1992 by First and conductor Gui Bordo, the Chicago 21st Century Music Ensemble remains an important contemporary music group in Chicago.
From 1990 until 1995, First served as a Lecturer in Theory and Composition at Northwestern University and DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
. In 1995, First accepted a post at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
where he is Professor and Chair of Composition and Theory.
Works and Honours
First's interest in electronic media led to the production of some of his most important and widely performed works, including Tantrum (1992-amplified mandolin and tape), I' vidi in terra angelici (1990-mezzo soprano and tape) on PetrarchPetrarch
Francesco Petrarca , known in English as Petrarch, was an Italian scholar, poet and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch is often called the "Father of Humanism"...
sonnets, and Zu wissen was kein Engel weiss (1990-double orchestra and quadrophonic tape). His most recent music includes The Eternal Return, a multimedia work for five ensembles and five films created by New York filmmaker Matt Marello. His work was recently included in the New York Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
America in Berlin exhibition at the Berlin Academy of Art.
Chamber Music
- String Quartet
- Two by One (Violin Solo/ Arrangement for Alto Sax)
- Shadow Play (Piano Solo)
- Intimate Voices (Violin, Cello, and Piano)
- Black Sun (Violin and Piano)
- Tantrum (Amplified Mandolin and Tape)
- Mosaics (Saxophone Quartet)
- Flights of Fantasy (Chamber Orchestra)
- Zu wissen was kein Engel weiß (Double Orchestra and Four-Channel Tape)
- Summer Knowledge (Flute, Violin, Cello, and Piano)
- Drame lyrique (Guitar)
- Contrapuntal Variations I (Mandolin and Tape)
- Contrapuntal Variations II (Violin)
- Contrapuntal Variations III (Cello)
- Time's Dedication (Soprano, Narrator, and 8 Instruments)
- Chimera (Viola and Harpsichord)
- Scatterbrain (Cello Solo)
- Three Scenes for a Mad Clarinet (Clarinet and Piano)
- Dream Music for Guitar and Cello
- Lo, the Solace Passed (Alto Saxophone and Large Chamber Ensemble)
- The Apocryphal (Violin Duo)
- Jetz (Double Bass and Piano)
Orchestral Music
- Flights of Fantasy (Chamber Orchestra)
- Zu wissen was kein Engel weiß (Double Orchestra and Four-Channel Tape)
- Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
- Sun Devil (Soprano Saxophone and Orchestra)
Electronic Music
- Zu wissen was kein Engel weiß (Double Orchestra and Four-Channel Tape)
- I ' vidi in terra angelici (Soprano and Two-Channel Tape)
- Epiphany (Amplified Violin, Mandolin, and Two-Channel Tape)
- Tantrum (Amplified Mandolin and Tape)
- Fever 103o (Two-Channel Tape)
- Invariance (Two-Channel Tape)