Role

:

Composer Conductor Performer

Birth

:

March 2, 1934 in Sheffield, England

Period

:

Contemporary

Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Choral

 

 

Orchestral

 

Bernard Rands was a British-American composer who was born on March 2, 1934, in Sheffield, England. He was the son of a Jewish father and a Catholic mother, and his family moved to the United States when he was 15 years old. Rands began his musical education at the age of 7, studying piano and violin. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1956 and a Master of Music degree in 1957. After completing his studies, Rands worked as a freelance composer and conductor in New York City. He also taught at several universities, including Princeton University, the University of California, San Diego, and Harvard University. In 1987, he was appointed the Walter Bigelow Rosen Professor of Music at Harvard, a position he held until his retirement in 2002. Rands' music is characterized by its complexity and its use of extended techniques, such as microtonality and aleatoric elements. His early works were influenced by the serialism of composers like Arnold Schoenberg and Anton Webern, but he later developed a more individual style that incorporated elements of jazz and world music. One of Rands' most famous works is his 1983 composition "Canti del Sole," which was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The piece is scored for soprano and orchestra and is based on Italian poems about the sun. It features a wide range of vocal techniques, including sprechgesang (a style of singing that is closer to speaking than to traditional singing) and glissandi (sliding between notes). Another notable work by Rands is his 1994 composition "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra," which was commissioned by the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The piece is scored for solo piano and orchestra and is divided into three movements. It features a virtuosic piano part that is accompanied by a complex orchestral texture. Rands' music has been performed by many of the world's leading orchestras and ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has also received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1984 for his composition "Canti del Sole." In addition to his work as a composer, Rands was also a respected teacher and mentor. Many of his former students have gone on to successful careers in music, including composers Augusta Read Thomas and Michael Daugherty. Bernard Rands passed away on November 5, 2019, at the age of 85. His legacy as a composer and educator continues to inspire and influence musicians around the world.

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