Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1955

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Vocal

 

Kenneth Frazelle is a renowned American composer of classical music, known for his unique style that blends traditional classical music with elements of folk, jazz, and popular music. Born on September 8, 1955, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Frazelle grew up in a family of musicians and was exposed to music from an early age. His father was a pianist and his mother was a singer, and they both encouraged Frazelle to pursue music as a career. Frazelle began his musical education at the age of six, studying piano with his father. He later studied composition with Robert Ward at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 1977. He then went on to study with David Diamond at the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned his Master of Music degree in 1980. Frazelle's early works were heavily influenced by the music of his native North Carolina, particularly the folk music of the Appalachian Mountains. His first major work, "Appalachian Songbook," was a collection of songs for voice and piano that drew on traditional Appalachian melodies and texts. The work was premiered in 1981 by soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson and pianist Lambert Orkis, and it quickly established Frazelle as a composer to watch. Over the next few years, Frazelle continued to explore the intersection of classical and folk music in works such as "Mountain Songs" for string quartet and "Blue Ridge Airs" for orchestra. He also began to incorporate elements of jazz and popular music into his compositions, as evidenced in works such as "Songs in the Rear View Mirror" for voice and piano and "The Clearing" for chamber ensemble. In 1987, Frazelle received a commission from the North Carolina Symphony to write a work for their 50th anniversary season. The resulting work, "Piedmont Concerto," was a three-movement work for piano and orchestra that drew on the rhythms and melodies of jazz and blues music. The concerto was premiered by pianist André Watts and the North Carolina Symphony under the direction of Gerhardt Zimmermann, and it was widely praised for its originality and energy. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Frazelle continued to compose works that blended classical and popular music, including "Songs of War and Peace" for chorus and orchestra, "The Gift" for soprano and orchestra, and "The Motion of Stone" for string quartet. He also began to explore new forms and genres, such as opera and ballet, with works such as "The Wind in the Willows" and "The Nutcracker: A Fantasy in Two Acts." Frazelle's music has been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also received numerous awards and honors for his work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Composer Fellowship, and the North Carolina Award for Fine Arts. In addition to his work as a composer, Frazelle is also an accomplished pianist and conductor. He has performed as a soloist with many orchestras and chamber ensembles, and he has conducted numerous premieres of his own works. Today, Frazelle continues to compose music that reflects his unique blend of classical, folk, jazz, and popular music. His works are known for their lyricism, energy, and emotional depth, and they continue to be performed and admired by audiences around the world.

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