Sebastian Currier

Sebastian Currier (born March 16, 1959) is an American composer of music for chamber groups and orchestras. He was also a professor of music at Columbia University from 1999 to 2007.

Currier was raised in Providence, RI in a family of talented musicians, including his brother Nathan Currier, who also is a noted composer. Sebastian Currier received degrees from the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music. His compositions include "Crossfade", written for two harps, and "Microsymph", described as a "30-minute symphony compressed into 10 minutes."

In October, 2005, members of the Berlin Philharmonic performed an entire evening of his works including the premiere of his work "Remix" [cite web|url=http://www.boosey.com/composer/Sebastian+Currier |title=Sebastian Currier Snapshot Page|publisher=Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.|accessdate=2008-08-11] In March, 2007, Currier's composition "Static" for flute, clarinet, violin, 'cello, and piano was honored with a Grawemeyer Award. "Static" is the second Grawemeyer Award-winning piece that does not require a conductor (the other is György Ligeti's Piano Etudes, which won the award in 1986).

Currier has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship and several awards from the American Academy of Arts.

He completed the orchestration of Stephen Albert's Symphony No. 2, half of which was undone at the time of Albert's untimely death. It was subsequently recorded on Naxos Records along with Albert's Symphony No. 1 "Riverrun", which won a Pulitzer Prize.

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter has recorded Currier's "Aftersong", which the composer dedicated to her.

References

External links

* [http://dramonline.org/mt/dram-featured/archives/2006/02/the_music_of_se.html Article from Database of Recorded American Music (DRAM)]
* [http://www.music.columbia.edu/faculty/currier.html Biography from Columbia University]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/19/arts/music/19copl.html?ex=1173502800&en=e251fb09a60a0c9b&ei=5070/ Review of 'Static' in New York Times]
* [http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,72279.shtml Announcement of Grawemeyer Award]
* [http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=4990 Further Information on "Static" and Grawemeyer Award]
* [http://www.boosey.com/composer/Sebastian+Currier Sebastian Currier @ Boosey & Hawkes]