Role

:

Composer Performer

Birth

:

1943

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Vocal

 

Alice Shields was an American composer, born on August 28, 1943, in New York City. She grew up in a family of musicians, with her father being a composer and her mother a pianist. Shields began her musical education at an early age, studying piano and composition with her parents. She later attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City, where she studied composition with Vittorio Giannini. Shields went on to study at the Juilliard School, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in composition in 1965. She continued her studies at Columbia University, where she earned a Master of Arts degree in composition in 1967. During her time at Columbia, Shields studied with some of the most prominent composers of the time, including Vladimir Ussachevsky, Otto Luening, and Jack Beeson. Shields' early works were heavily influenced by the electronic music movement of the 1960s. She was particularly interested in the use of technology to create new sounds and textures in music. Her early works, such as "Electronic Study No. 1" and "Electronic Study No. 2," were created using tape manipulation techniques and were performed at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center. In the 1970s, Shields began to incorporate more traditional instruments into her compositions. She was particularly interested in the use of non-Western instruments and musical traditions in her work. Her composition "Ko-Ko-Ma" for soprano, flute, and percussion, which was inspired by Native American music, was premiered at the New York Philharmonic's Horizons '74 festival. Shields' interest in non-Western music continued throughout her career. She traveled extensively, studying the music of different cultures and incorporating those influences into her compositions. Her work "The Wanderer" for soprano, flute, and percussion, which was inspired by the music of the Middle East, was premiered at the 1980 New Music America festival. In addition to her work as a composer, Shields was also a respected music educator. She taught at several institutions, including Columbia University, the New School for Social Research, and the Manhattan School of Music. She was also a founding member of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS) and served as its president from 1981 to 1983. Shields' compositions have been performed by some of the most prominent musicians and ensembles of the 20th century. Her work "The Transformation of Jane" for soprano and chamber ensemble, which was inspired by the life of Jane Eyre, was premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1976. Her composition "The Mass of Saint Cyprian" for chorus and orchestra, which was inspired by the legend of Saint Cyprian, was premiered by the New York Choral Society in 1985. Shields' later works continued to explore new sounds and textures in music. Her composition "The Blessing of the Dawn" for soprano, flute, and percussion, which was inspired by the music of the Far East, was premiered at the 1990 New Music America festival. Her work "The Perilous Chapel" for soprano, flute, and percussion, which was inspired by the music of the Middle Ages, was premiered at the 1992 Bang on a Can festival. Shields' contributions to the world of classical music have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. She was a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award.

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