Role

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Composer Performer

Birth

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1948

Genre

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Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Stuart Saunders Smith is an American composer and percussionist who was born on October 18, 1948, in Portland, Oregon. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a singer. Smith began playing the piano at a young age and later took up percussion, which would become his primary instrument. Smith attended the University of Oregon, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in percussion performance in 1971. He then went on to study composition at the University of Illinois, where he earned a Master of Music degree in 1973 and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1976. As a composer, Smith is known for his unique approach to rhythm and his use of unconventional percussion instruments. He has written works for a variety of ensembles, including solo percussion, chamber ensembles, and orchestra. Some of his most notable works include "The Circle of Light," "The White Cat," and "The Winged Energy of Delight." One of Smith's early works, "The Circle of Light," was written in 1974 for solo percussion and features a variety of unconventional instruments, including a bicycle wheel, a metal sheet, and a water gong. The piece is characterized by its use of complex rhythms and its exploration of the sonic possibilities of these unusual instruments. Another notable work by Smith is "The White Cat," which was written in 1983 for percussion quartet. The piece is based on a French fairy tale and features a variety of percussion instruments, including marimbas, vibraphones, and gongs. The work is known for its intricate rhythms and its use of extended techniques, such as playing the instruments with mallets wrapped in cloth. In 1994, Smith wrote "The Winged Energy of Delight," a work for orchestra that was inspired by a poem by Rumi. The piece features a variety of percussion instruments, including marimbas, xylophones, and gongs, and is characterized by its use of complex rhythms and its exploration of the sonic possibilities of these instruments. In addition to his work as a composer, Smith is also an accomplished percussionist. He has performed with a variety of ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. He has also recorded several albums of his own compositions, including "The Circle of Light" and "The White Cat." Smith has received numerous awards and honors for his work as a composer, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1988 and a Fulbright Fellowship in 1991. He has also been commissioned to write works by a variety of organizations, including the American Composers Forum and the Fromm Music Foundation. Overall, Stuart Saunders Smith is a highly respected composer and percussionist who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His unique approach to rhythm and his use of unconventional percussion instruments have made him a distinctive voice in contemporary music, and his works continue to be performed and admired by musicians and audiences around the world.

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