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Composer Performer

 

Ted Coffey was born on May 22, 1979, in San Francisco, California. He grew up in a family of musicians, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a classical pianist. Coffey began playing the piano at the age of four and showed a natural talent for music. He was also interested in composition from a young age and began writing his own music when he was just eight years old. Coffey attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied composition with David Conte and piano with Paul Hersh. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in 2001 and went on to earn his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music in 2003, where he studied with Martin Bresnick and Ezra Laderman. Coffey's music is characterized by its emotional depth and expressive power. He draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, including literature, visual art, and the natural world. His compositions often explore themes of love, loss, and the human condition, and he is known for his ability to create music that is both beautiful and thought-provoking. One of Coffey's early works, "Three Songs for Soprano and Piano," was written while he was still a student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The piece is a setting of three poems by Emily Dickinson and showcases Coffey's gift for melody and his ability to create a rich and complex harmonic language. Another notable work from Coffey's early career is "The Garden of Love," a song cycle for soprano and piano based on the poetry of William Blake. The piece was commissioned by the San Francisco Song Festival and premiered in 2002. It has since been performed by numerous singers and has become a staple of the contemporary art song repertoire. In 2004, Coffey was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study composition in Berlin, Germany. While there, he was exposed to a wide range of new musical influences and began to incorporate elements of German expressionism and postmodernism into his work. One of Coffey's most ambitious works to date is his opera, "The Memory Stone," which premiered in 2010 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The opera tells the story of a young woman who discovers a magical stone that allows her to relive her memories. The piece is notable for its lush orchestration and its complex, multi-layered vocal writing. Coffey's music has been performed by some of the world's leading musicians and ensembles, including the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, and the Kronos Quartet. He has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Rome Prize in Composition and the Guggenheim Fellowship. In addition to his work as a composer, Coffey is also an accomplished pianist and has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician. He is known for his sensitive and nuanced playing, and his performances have been praised for their emotional depth and technical virtuosity. Coffey currently resides in New York City, where he continues to compose and perform. His music is widely regarded as some of the most exciting and innovative work being done in contemporary classical music today, and he is considered one of the leading voices of his generation.

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