Role

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Composer Conductor Performer

Birth

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1971 in Paris, France

Genre

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Keyboard

 

Richard Carrick is a contemporary classical music composer, pianist, and conductor. He was born in 1971 in New York City, where he grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a jazz pianist, and his mother was a classical pianist. Carrick began playing the piano at a young age and showed a natural talent for music. Carrick attended the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied composition with Nils Vigeland and piano with Constance Keene. He later earned a doctorate in composition from Columbia University, where he studied with Tristan Murail and Fred Lerdahl. Carrick's music is known for its complexity and experimentation with form and structure. He often incorporates elements of improvisation and non-Western musical traditions into his compositions. His works have been performed by leading ensembles and soloists, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and the JACK Quartet. One of Carrick's early works, "Adagios for String Quartet," was premiered by the Arditti Quartet in 2001. The piece consists of four slow movements, each exploring a different aspect of the quartet's sound. The work received critical acclaim for its innovative use of harmony and texture. In 2005, Carrick composed "La Koro Sutro," a large-scale work for chorus and orchestra based on the Buddhist Heart Sutra. The piece was commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra and premiered at Carnegie Hall. The work features a choir singing in Esperanto, a constructed language designed to promote international understanding. Carrick's 2010 work "Cycles of Evolution" is a concerto for piano and chamber orchestra. The piece explores the idea of evolution through music, with the piano representing the individual and the orchestra representing the collective. The work was premiered by pianist Vicky Chow and the American Composers Orchestra. In 2014, Carrick composed "Stone Guitars," a work for electric guitar quartet and percussion. The piece was inspired by the stone sculptures of Isamu Noguchi and features intricate rhythms and harmonies. The work was premiered by the Dither Quartet and percussionist Owen Weaver. Carrick's most recent work, "The Flow Cycle," is a series of pieces for various ensembles that explore the concept of flow in music. The pieces incorporate improvisation and non-Western musical traditions, including Indian classical music and Japanese shakuhachi flute. The work was premiered by the Talea Ensemble and has been performed at festivals and venues around the world. In addition to his work as a composer, Carrick is also an accomplished pianist and conductor. He has performed with leading ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. He has also conducted his own works and those of other composers. Carrick is a professor of music at the College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has also taught at Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music. He is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Rome Prize and the Guggenheim Fellowship. Overall, Richard Carrick is a highly innovative and influential composer in the contemporary classical music world. His works push the boundaries of form and structure, incorporating elements of improvisation and non-Western musical traditions.

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