Role

:

Composer  

Birth

:

April 7, 1946

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Barbara Benary was an American composer of classical music, born on June 5, 1946, in New York City. She grew up in a family of musicians, with her father being a composer and her mother a pianist. From a young age, Benary showed a keen interest in music and began studying the piano and violin. She later went on to study composition at the University of California, Berkeley, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968. Benary's early compositions were heavily influenced by the minimalist movement of the 1960s, which emphasized the use of repetitive patterns and simple harmonic structures. Her works from this period, such as "Three Pieces for Piano" and "String Quartet No. 1," are characterized by their spare textures and hypnotic rhythms. In the 1970s, Benary began to incorporate elements of world music into her compositions, drawing inspiration from the music of India, Indonesia, and Africa. She traveled extensively throughout these regions, studying traditional instruments and techniques and incorporating them into her own work. This period saw the creation of some of her most notable works, including "Gending," a piece for gamelan orchestra, and "Kusuma," a work for solo violin and Javanese gamelan. Throughout her career, Benary was known for her innovative use of tuning systems, often using microtonal scales and just intonation to create unique harmonic structures. Her interest in tuning systems was influenced by her studies of Indian classical music, which uses a complex system of microtones and scales. In addition to her work as a composer, Benary was also a respected educator and performer. She taught composition and music theory at several universities, including the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Pittsburgh. She also performed as a violinist and gamelan player, often incorporating her own compositions into her performances. Benary's work has been widely performed and recorded, and she received numerous awards and honors throughout her career. In 1995, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for her work in music composition. She was also a recipient of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Music Award in 2001. Barbara Benary passed away on November 9, 2019, at the age of 73. Her legacy as a composer and educator continues to inspire musicians and audiences around the world.

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