Richard Danielpour is an American composer.

Biography

Danielpour is born of Persian

Persian people

The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...

/Jewish descent. He studied at Oberlin College

Oberlin College

Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...

 and the New England Conservatory of Music

New England Conservatory of Music

The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...

, and later at the Juilliard School of Music, where he received a DMA

Doctor of Musical Arts

The Doctor of Musical Arts degree is a doctoral academic degree in music. The D.M.A. combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization with graduate-level academic study in subjects such as music history, music theory, or music pedagogy. The D.M.A...

 in composition

Musical composition

Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...

 in 1986. His primary composition professors at Juilliard were Vincent Persichetti

Vincent Persichetti

Vincent Ludwig Persichetti was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, Persichetti was a native of Philadelphia...

 and Peter Mennin

Peter Mennin

Peter Mennin was an American composer and teacher. He directed the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, then for many years ran the Juilliard School, succeeding William Schuman in this role...

. Danielpour currently teaches at the Manhattan School of Music

Manhattan School of Music

The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...

 (since 1993) and the Curtis Institute of Music

Curtis Institute of Music

The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...

 (since 1997).

Career

Early on as a student -- first at the New England Conservatory, then at The Juilliard School -- Danielpour established his reputation as a skilled pianist (studying under Hollander, Jochum, and Chodus) and gifted composer (under Persichetti and Mennin). In fact, his first Piano Concerto, completed in 1981 (but later withdrawn), was commissioned and received its first performances while Danielpour was yet a Juilliard student. Like many composers of his generation, Danielpour initially subscribed to certain serial methods; his works in the early 1980s employed them extensively. Works from the end of that decade, however, such as First Light (1988) and The Awakened Heart (1990), adopted a broader and more unapologetically expressive style. He emerged in the 1990s as one of a handful of composers, alongside figures including Adams, Rouse, Schwantner, Corigliano, and Kernis, who embraced both the sonic engagement of triadic harmony and the experimental innovations of the previous century -- the familiar sound of the traditional orchestra as well as cultural ubiquity of pop, rock, and jazz. 1996's Concerto for Orchestra ("Zoarastrian Riddles"), for example, hides beneath its ostensibly serious surface musical allusions to Broadway, movies, and television. And like the music of his colleagues in this diverse cohort, Danielpour's works, including several symphonies and concertos and numerous chamber and vocal pieces, resonated with his audience and garnered wide acclaim; in fact, Danielpour became one of only three composers (the others being Stravinsky and Copland) to enjoy an exclusive recording contract with Sony Classical. By the end of the century, Danielpour's resume read like a checklist of classical music's highest honors: he had fulfilled commissions for numerous prestigious orchestras from the San Francisco Symphony

San Francisco Symphony

The San Francisco Symphony is an orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980, the orchestra has performed at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall. The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus are part of the organization...

 to the New York Philharmonic

New York Philharmonic

The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...

, received several awards (including MacDowell, Rockefeller, and Guggenheim fellowships), completed numerous residencies, and served on the faculties of the Curtis Institute and the Manhattan School of Music

Manhattan School of Music

The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...

. In 2005 he completed his first opera, Margaret Garner

Margaret Garner (opera)

Margaret Garner is an American opera loosely based on actual events in the life of runaway slave Margaret Garner. It was co-commissioned by the Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. The music was composed by Richard Danielpour with a libretto in English by...

, in collaboration with Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved...

.

Music

In common with many other American composers of the post-war generation, Danielpour began his career in a serialist

Serialism

In music, serialism is a method or technique of composition that uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements. Serialism began primarily with Arnold Schoenberg's twelve-tone technique, though his contemporaries were also working to establish serialism as one example of...

 milieu, but rejected it in the late 1980s in favor of a more ecumenical and "accessible" idiom. He cites the Beatles—along with John Adams

John Coolidge Adams

John Coolidge Adams is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer with strong roots in minimalism. His best-known works include Short Ride in a Fast Machine , On the Transmigration of Souls , a choral piece commemorating the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks , and Shaker...

, Christopher Rouse, and Joseph Schwantner

Joseph Schwantner

Joseph C. Schwantner is a Pulitzer Prize winning American composer and educator and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was awarded the 1970 Charles Ives Prize....

—as influences on his more recent musical style. He also makes frequent references to Hemingway and Whitman, saying the emotion in prose and verse can be translated to music. Danielpour's notable works include First Light (1988) for chamber orchestra, three symphonies

Symphony

A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...

 (1985, 1986, and 1990), four piano concerti

Piano concerto

A piano concerto is a concerto written for piano and orchestra.See also harpsichord concerto; some of these works are occasionally played on piano...

 (1981, 1993, 2002 and 2009), the ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

 Anima mundi (1995), and the opera Margaret Garner

Margaret Garner (opera)

Margaret Garner is an American opera loosely based on actual events in the life of runaway slave Margaret Garner. It was co-commissioned by the Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. The music was composed by Richard Danielpour with a libretto in English by...

(2005).

Operas

• Margaret Garner
  Margaret Garner (opera)
  Margaret Garner is an American opera loosely based on actual events in the life of runaway slave Margaret Garner. It was co-commissioned by the Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. The music was composed by Richard Danielpour with a libretto in English by...
  
  (2005)
  • Libretto by Toni Morrison
    Toni Morrison
    Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved...
    
    

Ballets

• Anima Mundi (1995)
  • For the Pacific Northwest Ballet
    Pacific Northwest Ballet
    Pacific Northwest Ballet is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. Founded in 1972 as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association, it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978. It is said to have the highest per...
    
    
• Urban Dances (1996)
  • For the New York City Ballet
    New York City Ballet
    New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
    
     and choreographer Miriam Mataviani

Orchestral

• Oratio Pauli (1982), for S.A.T.B. choir & string orchestra
• Symphony No. 1 - Dona Nobis Pacem (1984)
• Symphony No. 2 - Visions (1986), for soprano, tenor & orchestra
• First Light (1988)
• Cello Concerto No. 1 (1990), for cello & orchestra
• Piano Concerto No. 1 - Metamorphosis (1990), for piano & orchestra
• The Awakened Heart (1990)
• Symphony No. 3 - Journey Without Distance (1990), for soprano, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra
• Song of Remembrance (1991)
• Toward the Splendid City (1992)
  • commissioned by the New York Philharmonic
    New York Philharmonic
    The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
    
    
• Piano Concerto No. 2 (1993), for piano & orchestra
• Anima Mundi (1995)
  • commissioned by the Pacific Northwest Ballet
    Pacific Northwest Ballet
    Pacific Northwest Ballet is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. Founded in 1972 as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association, it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978. It is said to have the highest per...
    
    ; choreographed by Kent Stowell.
    • premièred in Seattle, WA on 6th February 1996, Stewart Kershaw conducting.
• Canticle of Peace (1995), for baritone, S.A.T.B. choir & chamber orchestra
• Concerto for Orchestra - Zoroastrian Riddles (1996)
• Urban Dances (Dance Suite in Five Movements (1996)
• Celestial Night (1997)
• Elegies (1997), song-cycle for mezzo-soprano, baritone & orchestra
• Vox Populi (1998)
• A Fool's Paradise (1999), concerto
  Concerto
  A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
  
   for violin & orchestra
  • commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Yaddo
    Yaddo
    Yaddo is an artists' community located on a 400 acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment."...
    
    's collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
    
    ; written for violinist Chantal Juillet
    Chantal Juillet
    Chantal Juillet, is a Canadian violinist.Born in Montreal, Juillet won all the major Canadian music competitions in her category by the age of 16 and was launched into international renown when she received First Prize at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York City. In 1979...
    
     and the Philadelphia Orchestra
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
    
    , who premièred the work under Charles Dutoit
    Charles Dutoit
    Charles Édouard Dutoit, is a Swiss conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of French and Russian 20th century music...
    
     at the Saratoga Center
    Saratoga Performing Arts Center
    The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is an amphitheater in Saratoga Springs, New York, which presents summer festivals of all kinds of music , dance, and opera, as well as a Wine & Food Festival...
    
    , NY in August 2000.
• The Night Rainbow (1999)
• A Child's Reliquary (2000), double concerto
  Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
  This is a list of musical compositions for violin, cello and orchestra, ordered by surname of composerPlease see the related entries for concerto, cello and cello concerto for discussion of typical forms and topics....
  
   for violin, cello & orchestra
• Nocturne (2000), for string orchestra
• An American Requiem (2001), for mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra
• Cello Concerto No. 2 - Through the Ancient Valley (2001), for cello solo, kamancheh
  Kamancheh
  The kamānche or kamāncha is a Persian bowed string instrument related to the bowed rebab, the historical ancestor of the kamancheh and also to the bowed lira of the Byzantine Empire, ancestor of the European violin family. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow: the word "kamancheh"...
  
   soloists & orchestra
  • commissioned by the New York Philharmonic
    New York Philharmonic
    The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
    
     for cellist Yo-Yo Ma
    Yo-Yo Ma
    Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
    
    , who premièred the work under Kurt Masur
    Kurt Masur
    Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times...
    
     at Avery Fisher Hall
    Avery Fisher Hall
    Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
    
    , NYC on 14th March 2001.
• In the Arms of the Beloved (2001), double concerto
  Double Concerto for Violin and Cello
  This is a list of musical compositions for violin, cello and orchestra, ordered by surname of composerPlease see the related entries for concerto, cello and cello concerto for discussion of typical forms and topics....
  
   for violin, cello & orchestra
  • commissioned to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of Jaime Laredo
    Jaime Laredo
    Jaime Laredo is a violinist and conductor. Currently the conductor and Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, he began his musical career when he was five years old. In 1948 he came to North America and took lessons from Antonio DeGrass...
    
     (violinist) and Sharon Robinson
    Sharon Robinson (cellist)
    Sharon Hall Robinson is an American cellist. She has had a highly successful performing career, both as a concert solo artist and as a member of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio, and has recorded extensively...
    
     (cellist), who premièred the work with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra under Michael Stern
    Michael Stern (conductor)
    Michael Stern is a noted American symphony conductor. Currently, he serves as the music director and lead conductor of the Kansas City Symphony in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also the founding music director of the IRIS Orchestra in Germantown, Tennessee.- Early life and education :Stern is the...
    
     in Germantown, TN
    Tennessee
    Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
    
     on 20th April 2002.
• Piano Concerto No. 3 - Zodiac Variations (2002), for piano left-hand & orchestra
  • commissioned by Herbert R. Axelrod
    Herbert R. Axelrod
    Herbert Richard Axelrod is a tropical fish expert, publisher of pet books, and entrepreneur. In 2005 he was sentenced in U.S. court to 18 months in prison for tax fraud.-Early life:...
    
     for pianist Gary Graffman
    Gary Graffman
    Gary Graffman is an American classical pianist, teacher of piano and music administrator.Graffman was born in New York City to Russian-Jewish parents. Having started piano at age 3, Graffman entered the Curtis Institute of Music at age 7 in 1936 as a piano student of Isabelle Vengerova...
    
    , who gave the work's première with the National Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin
    Leonard Slatkin
    Leonard Edward Slatkin is an American conductor and composer.-Early life and education:Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His father Felix Slatkin was the violinist, conductor and founder of the Hollywood String Quartet,...
    
     at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
    
     on 4th April 2002.
• Apparitions (2003), for chamber orchestra
  • commissioned by the New Jersey Symphony, who premièred the work under Zdenek Macal
    Zdenek Mácal
    Zdeněk Mácal is a Czech conductor.Mácal began violin lessons with his father at age four. He later attended the Brno Conservatory and the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, where he graduated in 1960 with top honors. He became principal conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and...
    
     at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center
    New Jersey Performing Arts Center
    The New Jersey Performing Arts Center , in downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States, is the sixth largest performing arts center in the United States...
    
    , Newark
    Newark, New Jersey
    Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
    
    , NJ
    Nj
    Nj or NJ may stand for:*New Jersey*Nanojoule , an International System of Units unit of energy equal to 10−9 joules*Nj *Narva-Jõesuu, Estonia*Nordjyske Jernbaner, a Danish railway...
    
     on 14th May 2003.
• Swan Song (2003), for string orchestra
  • an arrangement of the third movement of Danielpour's String Quartet No. 4 - Apparitions
• Songs of Solitude (2004), song-cycle for baritone & orchestra
  • written for baritone Thomas Hampson, commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
    
    , who premièred the work under David Robertson
    David Robertson (conductor)
    David Eric Robertson is an American conductor. He is currently the music director of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.-Early life:...
    
     in Philadelphia, PA
    Pennsylvania
    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
    
     on 21st October 2004.
• Adagietto (2005), for string orchestra
  • commissioned by the Wheeling Jesuit University
    Wheeling Jesuit University
    Wheeling Jesuit University is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic university in the United States. Located in Wheeling, West Virginia, it was founded as Wheeling College in 1954 by the Society of Jesus . Today, Wheeling Jesuit University is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of...
    
     for the Wheeling Symphony, who premièred the work (as part of the Wheeling Jesuit University
    Wheeling Jesuit University
    Wheeling Jesuit University is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic university in the United States. Located in Wheeling, West Virginia, it was founded as Wheeling College in 1954 by the Society of Jesus . Today, Wheeling Jesuit University is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of...
    
    's 50th anniversary celebrations) under André Raphael Smith in Wheeling
    Wheeling, West Virginia
    Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
    
    , WV
    West Virginia
    West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
    
    , on 11th March 2005.
• Voice of the City (2005), for concert band
• Washington Speaks (2005), for narrator & orchestra
  • commissioned by the Knights of Columbus
    Knights of Columbus
    The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
    
     for the Orchestra of St. Luke's
    Orchestra of St. Luke's
    The Orchestra of St. Luke's is an American chamber orchestra based in New York City.It was founded in the summer of 1979 at the Caramoor International Music Festival in Katonah, New York....
    
    , who premièred the work under Sir Gilbert Levine
    Gilbert Levine
    Sir Gilbert Levine, KC*SG is an American conductor. He is considered an "outstanding personality in the world of international music television."-Education:...
    
     with Ted Koppel
    Ted Koppel
    Edward James "Ted" Koppel is an English-born American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for Nightline from the program's inception in 1980 until his retirement in late 2005. After leaving Nightline, Koppel worked as managing editor for the Discovery Channel before resigning in 2008...
    
     as narrator at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
    Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
    The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
    
    , Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
    
     on 14th November 2007.
• Pastime (2006), song-cycle for baritone & orchestra
  • co-commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic
    Brooklyn Philharmonic
    The Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, commonly known as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, is an American orchestra based in the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City...
    
     in celebration of the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
    2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
    The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh,...
    
     on 10th July 2006.
• Triptych (2006), for soprano & orchestra
  • three arias from Danielpour's 2005 opera Margaret Garner
    Margaret Garner (opera)
    Margaret Garner is an American opera loosely based on actual events in the life of runaway slave Margaret Garner. It was co-commissioned by the Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. The music was composed by Richard Danielpour with a libretto in English by...
    
    ; commissioned by the Wheeling Symphony, who premièred the work with soprano soloist Tracie Luck and André Raphael Smith conducting in Wheeling
    Wheeling, West Virginia
    Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
    
    , WV
    West Virginia
    West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
    
     on 19th May 2006.
• Voices of Remembrance (2006), concerto
  Concerto
  A concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
  
   for string quartet & orchestra
  • commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
    
    
• A Woman's Life (2007), for soprano & orchestra
  • commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra
    Philadelphia Orchestra
    The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
    
    ; premièred by soprano Angela Brown
    Angela Brown
    Angela M. Brown is an African-American dramatic soprano particularly admired for her portrayal of Verdi heroines.-Early life and education:...
    
     with the Pittsburgh Symphony under Leonard Slatkin
    Leonard Slatkin
    Leonard Edward Slatkin is an American conductor and composer.-Early life and education:Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His father Felix Slatkin was the violinist, conductor and founder of the Hollywood String Quartet,...
    
     on 16th October 2009 in Pittsburgh, PA
    Pennsylvania
    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
    
    .
• Rocking the Cradle (2007)
  • commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony, who premièred the work under Juanjo Mena
    Juanjo Mena
    Juanjo Mena is a Spanish conductor. His brother Carlos is a countertenor and his sister Elena is a research chemist....
    
     on 22nd March 2007 in Baltimore
    Baltimore
    Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
    
    , MD
    Maryland
    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
    
    .
• Three Prayers (2007), for soprano & orchestra
  • excerpted from Danielpour's opera Margaret Garner
    Margaret Garner (opera)
    Margaret Garner is an American opera loosely based on actual events in the life of runaway slave Margaret Garner. It was co-commissioned by the Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. The music was composed by Richard Danielpour with a libretto in English by...
    
    
• Souvenirs (2008), for chamber orchestra
  • commissioned by the Kravis Center for the Vienna Chamber Orchestra
    Vienna Chamber Orchestra
    The Vienna Chamber Orchestra is an Austrian chamber orchestra based at the Vienna Konzerthaus....
    
    , who premièred the work under Philippe Entremont
    Philippe Entremont
    Philippe Entremont is a French pianist and conductor. He has made many recordings during his career, notably one in 1961 of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic....
    
     in Vienna
    Vienna
    Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
    
    , 2008.
• Vox Terrae (2008)
• Lacrimae Beati (2009), for string orchestra
  • commissioned by the Sejong Soloists, who premièred the work at Alice Tully Hall
    Alice Tully Hall
    Alice Tully Hall is a concert hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It is named for Alice Tully, a New York performer and philanthropist whose donations assisted in the construction of the hall...
    
    , 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...
    
     in December 2009.
• Piano Concerto No. 4 - A Hero's Journey (2009), for piano & orchestra
  • commissioned by the Pacific Symphony
    Pacific Symphony
    The Pacific Symphony is a symphony orchestra located in Orange County, California. The orchestra performs at the Renée and Henry Segerstom Concert Hall, part of the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California...
    
     for Jeffrey Biegel
• Icarus (2009), for large brass ensemble, seven percussion & two pianos
  • commissioned by a consortium of eighteen US universities, premièred by the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
    Indiana University of Pennsylvania
    Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university...
    
     "Keystone Brass Ensemble" at the WASBE International Conference in July 2010. A further performance was given by the Pittsburgh Symphony in 2010. The score is dedicated to Jack Stamp
    Jack Stamp
    Jack Stamp is a highly regarded North American Wind Ensemble conductor and composer.He has nearly sixty compositions available from Neil A Kjos Music Company, including the extremely popular Gavorkna Fanfare, which was dedicated to Eugene Corporon...
    
    .

Chamber

• "String Quartet No. 1 - Requiem" (1983), for two violins, viola & cello
• Piano Quintet (1988), for string quartet & piano
• Urban Dances (Book 1) (1988), for brass quintet
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 1 (1992), for soprano solo, flute, clarinet, horn, piano, percussion & string quintet
• Songs of the Night (1993), for tenor & piano trio
• String Quartet No. 2 - Shadow Dances (1993), for two violins, viola & cello
• Urban Dances, Book 2 (1993), for brass quintet
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 2 (1994), for baritone solo, flute, clarinet, horn, piano, percussion & string quintet
• String Quartet No. 3 - Psalms of Sorrow (1994), for baritone solo, two violins, viola & cello
• Fantasy Variations (1997), for cello & piano
• Sweet Talk (1997), for mezzo-soprano, cello, double bass & piano
• Feast of Fools - Concertino (1998), for bassoon & string quartet
• A Child's Reliquary (2000), for piano trio
• As Night Falls on Barjeantane (2000), for violin & piano
• String Quartet No. 4 - Apparitions (2000), two violins, viola & cello
• Portraits (2001), for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, violin, cello & piano
• String Quartet No. 5 - In Search of "La Vita Nuova" (2004), for two violins, viola & cello
• Troubadour's Feast (2005), for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello & piano
• The Book of Hours (2006), for piano quartet
• Benediction (2007), for two horns, two trumpets, three trombones & chimes
• River of Light (2007), for violin & piano
  • commissioned by the Isaac and Linda Stern Foundation
    Isaac Stern
    Isaac Stern was a Ukrainian-born violinist. He was renowned for his recordings and for discovering new musical talent.-Biography:Isaac Stern was born into a Jewish family in Kremenets, Ukraine. He was fourteen months old when his family moved to San Francisco...
    
     for violinist Sarah Chang
    Sarah Chang
    Sarah Chang is a Korean American violinist. Her debut came in 1989 with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, Chang was recognized as a child prodigy. She enrolled at Juilliard School to study music, graduating in 1999 and continuing university studies...
    
    , who premièred the work on 18th March 2007 in La Jolla, CA
    California
    California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
    
    .
• Kaddish (2008), for violin solo & string septet
  • written for Concertante, who premièred the work in Harrisburg, PA
    Pennsylvania
    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
    
     on 15th May 2010.
• Remembering Neda (2009), for flute, cello & piano
  • written for the Dolce Suono Trio, who premièred the work on 22nd October 2010 at the Trinity Center for Urban Life in Philadelphia, PA
    Pennsylvania
    The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
    
    .
• String Quartet No. 6 - Addio (2009), for two violins, viola & cello
  • commissioned by LifeMusic for the Ying Quartet
    Ying Quartet
    The Ying Quartet is an American string quartet. The Ying siblings from Winnetka, Illinois, formed the quartet in 1988 while studying at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music. The quartet began performing in the farm town of Jesup, Iowa, as the first artists involved in the National...
    
    , who premièred the work at the Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College
    Dartmouth College
    Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
    
     in Hanover
    Hanover, New Hampshire
    Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
    
    , NH
    New Hampshire
    New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
    
     in October 2009.
• The Faces of Guernica (2009), for piano trio
  • commissioned by the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation
    Walter W. Naumburg Foundation
    The Walter W. Naumburg Foundation sponsors competitions and provides awards for young classical musicians in North America. It was founded in 1925 by Walter Wehle Naumburg, a wealthy amateur cellist and son of noted New York music patron and philanthropist Elkan Naumburg. Elkan Naumburg, owner of...
    
     for the Trio Cavatina, who premièred the work at Carnegie Hall
    Carnegie Hall
    Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
    
    , 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...
    
     in May 2010.

Choral

• Oratio Pauli (1982), for S.A.T.B. choir & string orchestra
• Symphony No. 3 - Journey Without Distance (1990), for soprano solo, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra
• Canticle of Peace (1995), for baritone solo, S.A.T.B. choir & chamber orchestra
• An American Requiem (2001), for mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra

Vocal

• Symphony No. 2 - Visions (1986), for soprano, tenor soli & orchestra
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 1 (1992), for soprano solo & ensemble
• Songs of the Night (1993), for tenor solo & piano trio
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 2 (1994), for baritone solo & ensemble
• String Quartet No. 3 - Psalms of Sorrow (1994), for baritone solo & string quartet
• I Am Not Prey (1996), for soprano & piano duet
• Elegies (1997), for mezzo-soprano, baritone soli & orchestra
• Sweet Talk (1997), for mezzo-soprano solo & small ensemble
• Spirits in the Well (1998), for treble solo & piano
• Portraits (2001), for soprano solo & small ensemble
• Songs of Solitude (2004), for baritone solo & orchestra
• Four Arias, from "Margaret Garner" (2005), for baritone & piano
• He Is By, from "Margaret Garner" (2005), for soprano & piano
• Three Arias, from "Margaret Garner" (2005), for mezzo-soprano & piano
• Pastime (2006), for baritone solo & orchestra
• Triptych (2006), for mezzo-soprano & orchestra
• A Woman's Life (2007), for soprano & orchestra
• Three Prayers (2007), for soprano solo & orchestra
• Come Up from the Fields Father (2008) for baritone, viola and piano; words by Walt Whitman
  Walt Whitman
  Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse...
  
  
  • commissioned by the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia; premièred by Adrian Kramer (baritone), Roberto Díaz
    Roberto Diaz
    Roberto Díaz was principal viola of the National Symphony under Mstislav Rostropovich, a member of the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa, and a member of the Minnesota Orchestra under Neville Marriner. In 1996 he became principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, a position he held until 2006...
    
     (viola) and Mikael Eliasen (piano) at the Curtis Institute on 15th May 2009.
• Songs from an Old War (2009), for baritone & piano
  • written for American baritone Thomas Hampson

Solo instrumental

• Psalms (1985), for piano
• Sonata (1986), for piano
• The Enchanted Garden (Preludes, Book 1) (1992), for piano
• Mardi Gras (1992), for piano
• Elegy (2003), for piano
• Three Preludes (2003), for piano
• Piano Fantasy: "Wenn Ich Einmal Soll Schneiden" (2008), for piano
• The Enchanted Garden (Preludes, Book 2) (2009), for piano

Current/recent projects

Danielpour's current and forthcoming projects includes works for Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...

, the Iris Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Guarneri Quartet

Guarneri Quartet

The Guarneri Quartet was an American string quartet founded in 1964 at the Marlboro Music School and Festival. During the quartet's early years the members were in residence at Harpur College in upstate New York....

, Atlanta Symphony, Music from Copland House, Brooklyn Philharmonic

Brooklyn Philharmonic

The Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, commonly known as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, is an American orchestra based in the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City...

, Seattle Symphony

Seattle Symphony

The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra's season runs from September through July, and serves as the pit orchestra for most productions of the Seattle Opera in addition to its own concerts...

, Singapore Symhony

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is a 96 members professional symphony orchestra. Its main performing venue is the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore although it has also toured widely in Asia, Europe and the United States...

, Orchestre National de Lyon

Orchestre National de Lyon

The Orchestre National de Lyon is a French orchestra based in Lyon. Its current primary concert venue is l'Auditorium de Lyon. The orchestra operates with the help of a subsidy from the French Ministry of Culture and from the Rhône-Alpes regional council...

 and the WDR Symphony Orchestra, Cologne

Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

.

Sources

• G. Schirmer
  G. Schirmer
  G. Schirmer Inc. is an American classical music publishing company based in New York City, founded in 1861. It publishes sheet music for sale and rental, and represents some well-known European music publishers in North America, such as the Italian Ricordi, Music Sales Affiliates ChesterNovello,...
  
  , Biography: Richard Danielpour

External links

• Richard Danielpour's official website (archive)