Eric Whitacre
Encyclopedia
Eric Whitacre is an American composer
, conductor
and lecturer
. He is one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. In 2008, the all-Whitacre choral CD Cloudburst (released by the British ensemble Polyphony
on Hyperion Records
) became an international best-seller, topping the classical charts and earning a Grammy nomination. Robert Hollingworth commented: "what hits you straight between the eyes is the honesty, optimism and sheer belief that passes any pretension. This is music that can actually make you smile." In addition to Whitacre's litany of choral and wind ensemble compositions, he is also known for his "Virtual Choir" projects on YouTube, bringing individual voices from around the globe together in a cyber internet choir. His virtual choirs have exposed his music to a new audience and have helped it gain an unprecedented popularity. Whitacre signed a long-term recording deal with Decca
in 2010 and continues to develop his award winning musical Paradise Lost. A condensed concert version was given at Carnegie Hall in 2010. Plans for the stage show and soundtrack extend into 2011.
, where he studied composition with avant garde Ukrainian
composer Virko Baley
and choral conducting with David Weiller. He wrote his setting of Go, Lovely Rose for his college choir and presented the composition as a gift to David Weiller. Eric went on to earn his Master's degree in composition at the Juilliard School
, where he studied with John Corigliano
. His works Water Night, Cloudburst, Sleep, Lux Aurumque, A Boy and a Girl and "The Seal Lullaby" are amongst the most popular choral works in the standard repertory; his Ghost Train, Godzilla Eats Las Vegas and October and "Equus" have achieved similar success in the symphonic wind community. His cutting edge musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, which combines influences including trance, electronica, and anime with choral, cinematic, and operatic traditions, won the ASCAP Harold Arlen Award, the Richard Rogers award, and 10 Ovation Award nominations. He has received composition awards from the Barlow International Composition Competition, the American Choral Directors Association
and the American Composers Forum
. In 2001, Whitacre became the youngest recipient ever awarded the Raymond C. Brock commission by the American Choral Directors Association.
Since 2000, he has conducted concerts of his choral and symphonic music in Japan, Australia, China, Singapore, South America and much of Europe, as well as in American Universities and colleges where he regularly conducts seminars and lectures with young musicians.
Recent commissions include works for Chanticleer
, The King's Singers, Julian Lloyd Webber
, and The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
.
Whitacre's first recording, The Music of Eric Whitacre, was named by the American Record Guide
as one of the top ten classical albums of 1997. In 2006, a full collection of his a cappella music, Cloudburst and Other Choral Works, was released on the British label Hyperion Records
. The album became an international best seller, appearing in the top ten of both Billboard's and iTunes Top Classical Albums charts. Two years after its release, it continues to be a top-seller and won a 2007 Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance. In 2010, Whitacre signed a long-term contract with Decca as a performer. "Light & Gold," Whitacre's first album with the label, was released in October 2010, and features Whitacre himself as conductor and musical director.
In October 2010 Whitacre was named Composer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
University. He lived on campus for the duration of the 2010 Michaelmas term. At his concert at the Union Chapel in Islington on 11 October 2011 Whitacre announced that his fellowship at Sidney Sussex College had been extended for five years and that he with his wife and son had moved home to London in September 2011. In March 2011 it was announced that he had joined the fashion models agency, Storm.
Whitacre is married to Grammy-award winning soprano Hila Plitmann
.
Despite a close link with the choir at Brigham Young University
, and a number of works either derived from Biblical texts or with possible Christian interpretations, Whitacre has stated that he is not a Christian, though neither is he an Atheist.
and indeterminate sections, as well as unusual score instructions involving, in some cases, hand actions and/or props.
The 2010 version of the Virtual Choir 2.0 "Sleep" began in October 2010 and the video submission process was completed on 10 January 2011. Whitacre spoke at TED.com and this video was released on April 1, 2011, accompanied with a short 2 minute example of the "Sleep" project. The YouTube release was on April 7, 2011.
On September 27, 2011, Eric announced on his blog his plans for a "Virtual Choir 3". Details about the piece chosen for this project have not yet been released.
, Light & Gold was released in October 2010. From October to December 2010, Whitacre was a visiting Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
during Michaelmas (Autumn) Term.
Whitacre's second album with Decca is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2012 featuring some of his newest compositions for chorus and for orchestra.
On 24 October 2010, he conducted an all-American programme with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at the Barbican London, in a performance that featured his commission for the London Symphony Chorus
entitled Songs of Immortality. On 28 November 2010, he sat on the panel of judges for the final episode of Choir of the Year, broadcast on BBC Four
and BBC Radio 3
. In December 2010, Whitacre conducted the I Vocalisti choir in Hamburg, and was a guest conductor of the Christmas performance of the Berlin Rundfunkchor.
On 6 November 2010, Whitacre conducted Côrdydd, a Cardiff-based mixed choir, and friends in a concert of his work at the BBC Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre
.
He composed a piece for the Sydney Sussex college choir, and worked with students in masterclasses and workshops. The concert version of his musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings was performed to a sold out audience at Carnegie Hall in June 2010.
Whitacre is a founding member of BCM International, a quartet of composers consisting of himself, Steven Bryant, Jonathan Newman and James Bonney, which aspires to "enrich the wind ensemble repertoire with music unbound by traditional thought or idiomatic cliché."
, American Choral Directors Association
, American Composers' Forum and in 2001 became the youngest recipient ever of The Raymond C Brock Commission given by the American Choral Directors Association. His musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings earned him a ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award|Richard Rodgers Award and received 10 nominations at the 2007 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards
. The album Cloudburst and Other Choral Works
received a Grammy nomination in 2007 for Best Choral Performance.
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...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
. He is one of the most popular and performed composers of his generation. In 2008, the all-Whitacre choral CD Cloudburst (released by the British ensemble Polyphony
Polyphony (choir)
Polyphony is a small English choir formed by Stephen Layton for one particular concert put on in King's College, Cambridge in 1986. They have released many critically acclaimed recordings, the most recent of which is Bruckner - Mass in E Minor and Motets. They record and perform a wide range of...
on Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
) became an international best-seller, topping the classical charts and earning a Grammy nomination. Robert Hollingworth commented: "what hits you straight between the eyes is the honesty, optimism and sheer belief that passes any pretension. This is music that can actually make you smile." In addition to Whitacre's litany of choral and wind ensemble compositions, he is also known for his "Virtual Choir" projects on YouTube, bringing individual voices from around the globe together in a cyber internet choir. His virtual choirs have exposed his music to a new audience and have helped it gain an unprecedented popularity. Whitacre signed a long-term recording deal with Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in 2010 and continues to develop his award winning musical Paradise Lost. A condensed concert version was given at Carnegie Hall in 2010. Plans for the stage show and soundtrack extend into 2011.
Biography
Whitacre began his musical training while an undergraduate at the University of Nevada, Las VegasUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
, where he studied composition with avant garde Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
composer Virko Baley
Virko Baley
Virko Baley is a renowned Ukrainian-American composer, conductor, and pianist. He was born in Radekhiv, Union of Soviet Socialist Republic , the only child of Petro and Lydia Baley. Before he had celebrated his first birthday, Hitler's army had invaded Poland and World War II had begun...
and choral conducting with David Weiller. He wrote his setting of Go, Lovely Rose for his college choir and presented the composition as a gift to David Weiller. Eric went on to earn his Master's degree 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...
, where he studied with John Corigliano
John Corigliano
John Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
. His works Water Night, Cloudburst, Sleep, Lux Aurumque, A Boy and a Girl and "The Seal Lullaby" are amongst the most popular choral works in the standard repertory; his Ghost Train, Godzilla Eats Las Vegas and October and "Equus" have achieved similar success in the symphonic wind community. His cutting edge musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, which combines influences including trance, electronica, and anime with choral, cinematic, and operatic traditions, won the ASCAP Harold Arlen Award, the Richard Rogers award, and 10 Ovation Award nominations. He has received composition awards from the Barlow International Composition Competition, the American Choral Directors Association
American Choral Directors Association
The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...
and the American Composers Forum
American Composers Forum
The American Composers Forum is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and assistance of American composers and their music. It was founded in 1973 as the Minnesota Composers Forum and is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States...
. In 2001, Whitacre became the youngest recipient ever awarded the Raymond C. Brock commission by the American Choral Directors Association.
Since 2000, he has conducted concerts of his choral and symphonic music in Japan, Australia, China, Singapore, South America and much of Europe, as well as in American Universities and colleges where he regularly conducts seminars and lectures with young musicians.
Recent commissions include works for Chanticleer
Chanticleer (ensemble)
Based in San Francisco, California, Chanticleer is a full-time classical vocal ensemble in the United States. Over the last three decades, it has developed a major reputation for its interpretations of Renaissance music, but it also performs a wide repertoire of jazz, gospel, and other venturesome...
, The King's Singers, Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
, and The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
Chorus
-Musical:* Choir, a vocal ensemble* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound; signal processors design to simulate the effect* Refrain or chorus of a song, pre-chorus may refer to bridge...
.
Whitacre's first recording, The Music of Eric Whitacre, was named by the American Record Guide
American Record Guide
The American Record Guide is a classical music magazine. It has reviewed classical music recordings since 1935.Since 1992, with the incorporation of the Musical America editorial functions into ARG, it started covering concerts, musicians, ensembles and orchestras in the US.The magazine prides...
as one of the top ten classical albums of 1997. In 2006, a full collection of his a cappella music, Cloudburst and Other Choral Works, was released on the British label Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
. The album became an international best seller, appearing in the top ten of both Billboard's and iTunes Top Classical Albums charts. Two years after its release, it continues to be a top-seller and won a 2007 Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance. In 2010, Whitacre signed a long-term contract with Decca as a performer. "Light & Gold," Whitacre's first album with the label, was released in October 2010, and features Whitacre himself as conductor and musical director.
In October 2010 Whitacre was named Composer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...
University. He lived on campus for the duration of the 2010 Michaelmas term. At his concert at the Union Chapel in Islington on 11 October 2011 Whitacre announced that his fellowship at Sidney Sussex College had been extended for five years and that he with his wife and son had moved home to London in September 2011. In March 2011 it was announced that he had joined the fashion models agency, Storm.
Whitacre is married to Grammy-award winning soprano Hila Plitmann
Hila Plitmann
Hila Plitmann is an operatic soprano specializing in the performance of new works. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, composer Eric Whitacre, and their son.- Career :...
.
Despite a close link with the choir at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, and a number of works either derived from Biblical texts or with possible Christian interpretations, Whitacre has stated that he is not a Christian, though neither is he an Atheist.
Style
Whitacre writes music that incorporates contemporary sounds and influences while demanding precision, intonation and ensemble. He is probably best known for his choral works; however, both his choral and instrumental styles use his signature "Whitacre chords," or pan-diatonic clusters usually arranged in successive increasing or decreasing density. Whitacre achieves this growth and decay by splitting voices divisi—in one case up to 18 parts. These sonorities can often be read as seventh or ninth chords, with or without suspended seconds and fourths. Perhaps his most famous chord is a root-position major triad with an added major second and/or perfect fourth. Whitacre makes frequent use of quartal, quintal and secundal harmonies, and is also known for his use of unconventional chord progressions. His use of rhythm often involves mixed, complex, and/or compound meters. His pieces sometimes include frequent meter changes and unusual rhythmic patterns. Another trademark of Whitacre's pieces is the use of aleatoricAleatory
Aleatoricism is the incorporation of chance into the process of creation, especially the creation of art or media. The word derives from the Latin word alea, the rolling of dice...
and indeterminate sections, as well as unusual score instructions involving, in some cases, hand actions and/or props.
Virtual Choir
Whitacre's Virtual Choir projects were inspired by a video sent to him of a young girl singing one of his choral pieces he then began with a test run of Sleep, then Lux Aurumque in 2009 and was followed again by Sleep in 2010. The video for Lux Aurumque, featuring a virtual choir of 185 voices from 12 countries, was described as a "musical experience that works better than anyone might have expected", their video receiving over 1,000,000 hits in the first two months of its release.The 2010 version of the Virtual Choir 2.0 "Sleep" began in October 2010 and the video submission process was completed on 10 January 2011. Whitacre spoke at TED.com and this video was released on April 1, 2011, accompanied with a short 2 minute example of the "Sleep" project. The YouTube release was on April 7, 2011.
On September 27, 2011, Eric announced on his blog his plans for a "Virtual Choir 3". Details about the piece chosen for this project have not yet been released.
Recording projects
Whitacre's first album with DeccaDecca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, Light & Gold was released in October 2010. From October to December 2010, Whitacre was a visiting Fellow at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
during Michaelmas (Autumn) Term.
Whitacre's second album with Decca is scheduled to be released in the spring of 2012 featuring some of his newest compositions for chorus and for orchestra.
Performance projects
Whitacre has worked collaboratively with Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) and is due to collaborate with them again in 2011 in New York, Vancouver and Los Angeles. With regard to his musical "Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings", he was described by the New York Times as a "younger, hipper Andrew Lloyd Webber, with fleeting hints of Bernstein and Sondheim".On 24 October 2010, he conducted an all-American programme with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at the Barbican London, in a performance that featured his commission for the London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Chorus
The London Symphony Chorus is a large symphonic concert choir based in London, England, consisting of over 150 amateur singers, and is one of the major symphony choruses of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1966 as the LSO Chorus to complement the work of the London Symphony Orchestra...
entitled Songs of Immortality. On 28 November 2010, he sat on the panel of judges for the final episode of Choir of the Year, broadcast on BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
and BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
. In December 2010, Whitacre conducted the I Vocalisti choir in Hamburg, and was a guest conductor of the Christmas performance of the Berlin Rundfunkchor.
On 6 November 2010, Whitacre conducted Côrdydd, a Cardiff-based mixed choir, and friends in a concert of his work at the BBC Hoddinott Hall in the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
.
He composed a piece for the Sydney Sussex college choir, and worked with students in masterclasses and workshops. The concert version of his musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings was performed to a sold out audience at Carnegie Hall in June 2010.
Whitacre is a founding member of BCM International, a quartet of composers consisting of himself, Steven Bryant, Jonathan Newman and James Bonney, which aspires to "enrich the wind ensemble repertoire with music unbound by traditional thought or idiomatic cliché."
Awards and honors
Whitacre has won awards from the Barlow international composition competitionBarlow Endowment
The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition is a scholarship established in September 1983 through the generosity of Milton A. and Gloria Barlow. Motivated by their love of music, the Barlows presented a substantial gift to Brigham Young University, engendering and supporting excellence in musical...
, American Choral Directors Association
American Choral Directors Association
The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...
, American Composers' Forum and in 2001 became the youngest recipient ever of The Raymond C Brock Commission given by the American Choral Directors Association. His musical Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings earned him a ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award|Richard Rodgers Award and received 10 nominations at the 2007 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards
Ovation Awards
The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. They have been called the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the Los...
. The album Cloudburst and Other Choral Works
Cloudburst (Whitacre)
Cloudburst is one of Eric Whitacre's most famous compositions. It dates from 1992, when the composer was only 22. It is written for eight-part choir, accompanied by piano and percussion. The text is from Octavio Paz's poem El Cántaro Roto , adapted by Whitacre.The first section is a cappella, with...
received a Grammy nomination in 2007 for Best Choral Performance.
Wind symphony
- Equus
- Ghost Train Triptych
- Ghost Train
- At the Station
- Motive Revolution
- Godzilla Eats Las Vegas!
- Noisy Wheels of Joy
- OctoberOctober (Whitacre)October is a contemporary piece for concert band that was written by Eric Whitacre in 2000. Based on the guidelines as established by the authors of Teaching Music through Performance in Band, October is a Grade 4 piece.-Background:...
- Sleep (choral transcription)
- The Seal Lullaby (choral transcription for wind symphony and piano)
- Lux Aurumque (choral transcription, transposed a semitone lower from C-Sharp Minor to C Minor)
- Cloudburst (choral transcription)
- Libertas Imperio (From Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings)
SATB choral
- A Boy and A Girl (poem by Octavio PazOctavio PazOctavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
) - Alleluia (adapted from his October)
- Animal Crackers, Volume 1 (Poems by Ogden NashOgden NashFrederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
)- The Panther
- The Cow
- The Firefly
- Animal Crackers, Volume 2 (Poems by Ogden NashOgden NashFrederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".-Early life:Nash was born in Rye, New York...
)- The Canary
- The Eel
- The Kangaroo
- The City and the Sea (poems by e. e. Cummings)
- i walked the boulevard
- the moon is hiding in her hair
- maggie and millie and molly and may
- as is the sea marvelous
- little man in a hurry
- CloudburstCloudburst (Whitacre)Cloudburst is one of Eric Whitacre's most famous compositions. It dates from 1992, when the composer was only 22. It is written for eight-part choir, accompanied by piano and percussion. The text is from Octavio Paz's poem El Cántaro Roto , adapted by Whitacre.The first section is a cappella, with...
(poem by Octavio Paz) - Five Hebrew Love Songs (poem by Hila Plitmann)
- Temuna
- Kala Kalla (Light Bride)
- Larov (Mostly)
- Eyze Sheleg! (What snow!)
- Rakut (Tenderness)
- Her Sacred Spirit Soars (poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri)
- Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine (libretto by Charles Anthony Silvestri)
- Little Birds (poem by Octavio Paz)
- little tree (poem by E. E. CummingsE. E. CummingsEdward Estlin Cummings , popularly known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in lowercase letters as e.e. cummings , was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright...
) - Lux Aurumque (poem by Edward Esch; translated into LatinLatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
by Charles Anthony Silvestri) (also set for male chorus) - Nox Aurumque (poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri)
- Oculi Omnium
- The Seal Lullaby (poem by Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
) - She Weeps Over Rahoon (poem by James JoyceJames JoyceJames Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
) - SleepSleep (choral song)Sleep is a choral composition by Eric Whitacre. It was originally set to the text of Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" however, Whitacre never secured permission to use the poem. After a long battle, the estate of Robert Frost forbade Whitacre from using the text until it became...
(originally a setting of Robert FrostRobert FrostRobert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningStopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a poem written in 1922 by Robert Frost, and published in 1923 in his New Hampshire volume. Imagery and personification are prominent in the work...
"; for copyright reasons the published version uses a specially-written text by Charles Anthony Silvestri) - Sleep, My Child (Choral transcription from Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings)
- The Stolen Child (setting of a poem by William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
, commissioned in 2008 by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and The King's SingersKing's SingersThe King's Singers is a British a cappella vocal ensemble who celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2008. Their name recalls King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars in 1968. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s...
for their respective 25th and 40th anniversaries) - This Marriage (poem by Jalal al-Din Rumi)
- Three Flower Songs
- I Hide Myself (poem by Emily DickinsonEmily DickinsonEmily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
) - With a Lily in Your Hand (poem by Federico García LorcaFederico García LorcaFederico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
) - Go, Lovely Rose (poem by Edmund WallerEdmund WallerEdmund Waller, FRS was an English poet and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1679.- Early life :...
)
- I Hide Myself (poem by Emily Dickinson
- Three Songs of Faith (poems by E. E. CummingsE. E. CummingsEdward Estlin Cummings , popularly known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in lowercase letters as e.e. cummings , was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright...
))- i will wade out
- hope, faith, life, love
- i thank You God for most this amazing day
- Water NightWater Night (Whitacre)Water Night is one of composer Eric Whitacre's earliest works, written in 1994 during Whitacre's attendance at University of Nevada, Las Vegas and commissioned by the Dale Warland Singers. It is written for SATB choir a cappella with three, four, and five-part divisi in vocal sections...
(poem by Octavio Paz; translated by Muriel RukeyserMuriel RukeyserMuriel Rukeyser was an American poet and political activist, best known for her poems about equality, feminism, social justice, and Judaism...
) - When David Heard (from II SamuelBooks of SamuelThe Books of Samuel in the Jewish bible are part of the Former Prophets, , a theological history of the Israelites affirming and explaining the Torah under the guidance of the prophets.Samuel begins by telling how the prophet Samuel is chosen by...
18:33) - Winter (poem by Edward Esch)
- What If (lyrics by David Norona and Eric Whitacre)
SSA choral
- She Weeps Over Rahoon (text by James Joyce)
- Five Hebrew Love Songs (poem by Hila Plitmann)
- The Seal Lullaby (text by Rudyard Kipling)
- I Thank You God (text by e.e. cummings)
TTBB choral
- Lux Aurumque (poem by Edward Esch, translated into Latin by Charles Anthony Silvestri)
- The Seal Lullaby (text by Rudyard Kipling)
Choral works not yet published
- Alleluia
- Oculi Omnium
- Songs of Immortality
- Lie still, sleep becalmed (poem by Dylan Thomas)
- After Great Pain (poem by Emily Dickenson)
Orchestral
- October
- Winter
- A Boy and a Girl
- Lux Aurumque
- Water Night
- The River Cam
- Winter (for strings, choir and sitar)
Solo voice
- The City and the Sea (poems by e. e. Cummings)
- Five Hebrew Love Songs (poem by Hila Plitmann)
Music theatre
- Paradise Lost: Shadows and WingsParadise Lost: Shadows and WingsParadise Lost: Shadows and Wings is a music theater work in two acts with music by composer Eric Whitacre, lyrics by Whitacre and David Noroña, and book by poet Edward Esch...
, a musical featuring electronic, world, and orchestral instruments; classical singers; and many different styles of music.
Other arrangements
- Rak HaHatchala (Only the Beginning) [aka Five Hebrew Love Songs]; for soprano voice, solo violin, piano
Film and Television
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger TidesPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger TidesPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is a 2011 adventure fantasy film and the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series...
, co-composer (with Hans ZimmerHans ZimmerHans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
) of the Mermaid Theme and choral segments
Publishers
Whitacre is published by Chester Music; G. Schirmer; Walton Music; Santa Barbara Music; Shadow Water Music; and Carpe Ranam Music.External links
- Eric_Whitacre on WikiMusicGuide
- Biography on Hyperion Records
- NPR Review of Cloudburst and choral audio. September 28, 2006
- Music Productions Ltd (Management company of Eric Whitacre)
- Eric Whitacre write-up on ChesterNovello web site
- http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_whitacre_a_virtual_choir_2_000_voices_strong.htmlEric talking at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
about the virtual choir] - Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 2.0, 'Sleep'
- Classical Archives Interview