William Harper (composer & photographer)

Infobox Musical artist
Name = William Harper


Img_capt = William resting between summits in the Weminuche 2005
Background =
Birth_name =
Alias =
Born =
Died =
Origin = Chicago, Illinois
Instrument = organ, synthesizers, guitar, keyboards
Genre = classical electronic music folktronica musique concrète experimental techno
Occupation = Composer, photographer, teacher
Years_active = 1970 – Present
Label = ARTCO Records
Associated_acts =
URL =

William Harper (1949- ) is a Chicago composer whose technology-based work is sourcedfrom liturgical and folk traditions. Harper first earned critical acclaim for his workdefining a Chicago style of new music theater and opera as the creator and producer ofmany full-length original works for the American Ritual Theater Company (ARTCO).Concurrent with these projects, and subsequently, Harper’s opera, music theater,dance, orchestra, chorus, and electro-acoustic works have been commissioned andperformed by companies including The Minnesota Opera Company, The New MusicTheater Ensemble of Minneapolis, INTAR Hispanic American Cultural Center, TheGoodman Theater, Hartford Stage and The Music Theatre Group. Harper’s recentlycompleted Unquiet Myths, a suite of electro-acoustic pieces was commissioned by TheEllen Sinopoli Dance Company for Spill Out!, which premiered in 2006 and is scheduledto begin a national tour this year. William Harper received a PhD in music compositionfrom the Eastman School of Music, and has received support from many foundationsincluding the National Institute for Music Theater, the Djerassi Foundation, the YaddoFoundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois and New York State ArtsCouncils and The MacArthur Foundation..

Selected Works

Operas and Music Theatre

* 2000 Heroism with Frederick Feirstein, Nassau Community College, New York
* 1997 The Bacchae Harvard University, Katherine Walker, Music Theater Group, New York
* 1995 Extraordinary Measures with Eve Ensler, Music Theater Group, New York
* 1993 El Greco INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York
* 1992 Martin Guerre (Orchestrations) with Roger Ames Hartford Stage, Hartford
* 1992 Cooking the World with Bob Berkey Music Theater Group, New York
* 1989 Snow Leopard Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis
* 1987 Tantracidal Mania Minnesota Opera Company, Minneapolis
* 1986 Peyote Roadkill ARTCO, Chicago
* 1983 John Ball Shot Them All N.A.M.E. Gallery, Chicago

Recordings

* 2006 Unquiet Myths, A collection of electro-acoustic pieces
* 2005 Requiem, Mass for chorus, SATB and electronic accompaniment
* 2004 Marlidendur, Music for strings, percussion, and boys choir
* 2002 The Banjo of Death Sleeping, Three electro-acoustic pieces
* 2000 El Greco, Opera

Works for Orchestra

* 1999 Marlidendur Gudmundur Emilsson, The Baltic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, Reykjavik
* 1997 Scenes from the Valley of the Black Pig Full Orchestra, ARTCO, Chicago
* 1996 Requiem Mass Chorus, Orchestra and Alto Solo, Harle & Ken Montgomery Foundation
* 1994 Seasons of the Heart Song for Soprano Solo and String Orchestra. Texts by Bernardo Solano, INTAR, New York.
* 1990 Marouska Variations Full Orchestra, ARTCO, Chicago

Dance, Film, and Incidental Music

* 2006 Unquiet Myths for Spill Out! Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, Troy
* 1992 Words Divine INTAR Hispanic American Arts Center, New York
* 1987 Waiting in the Dark For Bay Area Playwrights, Mill Valley
* 1986 Changing Habits WTTW-TV, Chicago
* 1986 Macando Dreiske Performance Ensemble, Chicago
* 1985 Illinois Turner Broadcasting, Atlanta
* 1985 Light Kanopy Dance Theater, Madison
* 1984 Crimson Cowboy (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago
* 1984 Julius Caesar Alliance Theater, Atlanta
* 1984 Red River The Goodman Theater, Chicago
* 1983 Dead Birds (Opera/Dance Work) ARTCO, Chicago
* 1983 Calyx Columbia Dance Center, Chicago
* 1983 I've Known Rivers (Dance/Opera Work) MoMing, Chicago

References

* [http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=19864 NPR report on Harper's photography show at Flatfile Gallery, Chicago]
* [http://www.saic.edu/people/Harper_William.html?color=ORANGE Art Institute Faculty Bio]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0D9103AF934A1575AC0A965958260&scp=1&sq=el+greco+harper&st=nyt NY Times review of Harper's opera, "El Greco"]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEFD71239F936A35756C0A963958260&scp=2&sq=+%22william+harper%22&st=nyt NY Times review of "Extraordinary Measures"]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7DC1F3AF936A15752C1A964958260&scp=5&sq=+%22william+harper%22&st=nyt NY Times review of "Words Divine"]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E7DE1738F936A3575BC0A962948260&scp=36&sq=%22william+harper%22&st=nyt NY Times review of "I've Known Rivers"]
* [http://www.requiemsurvey.org/composers.php?id=889 Requiem Survey entry re: "Requiem"]
* [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24265026.html?dids=24265026:24265026&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+31%2C+1993&author=Michael+Kilian%2C+Tribune+Staff+Writer.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=30&desc=MUSICAL+CANVASES+THE+PAINTINGS+OF+EL+GRECO+COME+TO+LIFE+ON+THE+OPERA+STAGE Chicago Tribune Article about Harper's opera, "El Greco"]
* [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24911432.html?dids=24911432:24911432&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+13%2C+1986&author=Richard+Christiansen%2C+Entertainment+editor&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=10&desc=STRONG+SINGING+UNABLE+TO+KEEP+%27PEYOTE%27+AFLOAT Chicago Tribune review of Harper's opera "Peyote Roadkill"]
* [http://yaddo.org/yaddo/ArtistsLists.shtml List of composers who have spent time at Yaddo]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE0DC173DF930A25752C1A96F95826 NY Times article about "Marlidendur"]
* [http://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?VID=203 Recordings by the Riga Dome Boys Choir]
* [http://wprb.com/printplaylist.php?show_id=3560 Playlist - Classical Discoveries 04/06/05]
* [http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/news/Newsletters/CurrentLatvia/1999/nov/3872/?print=on Summary of News in Latvia 11/99 - See Calendar of Arts Events]
* [http://www.21st-centurymusic.com/ML210001.pdf 21st Century Music calendar entry for Voyages Concert 11/9/99]
* [http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/1999-00/99-038.html Brown University Press release on Voyages Festival 11/99]
* "Prayer Wheels Into Turbines" (William Harper's" Snow Leopard") - Kyle Gann, Village Voice December 19, 1989 (Vol. XXXIV No. 51, p. 84)
* "Dad Was an Old Master" (William Harper's "El Greco") - Kyle Gann, Village Voice October 12, 1993 (Vol. XXXVIII No. 41, p. 82)
* [http://en.scientificcommons.org/6126896 Link to doctoral dissertation: "Olivier Messiaen's Et Exspecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum"]

External links

* [http://cdbaby.com/found?allsearch=william+harper&submit=search Recordings available on CD Baby]
* [http://www.amazon.com/s?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=william+harper&x=0&y=0 .mp3s available from Amazon.com]
* [http://www.wharper.com/pdf%20download/HarperPress.pdf .pdf file of posters from Harper's productions]
* [http://www.wharper.com William Harper - Official Website]
* [http://www.wharperphoto.com William Harper photography website]
* [http://www.albany.edu/pac/Releases/spill%20out.htm Spill Out (2006)]