Role

:

Composer Performer

Birth

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1953

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Orchestral

 

David Felder is a renowned American composer of contemporary classical music. He was born on April 16, 1953, in Rochester, New York, and grew up in a family of musicians. His father was a jazz pianist, and his mother was a classical pianist. Felder started playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the trumpet and guitar. Felder attended the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, where he studied composition with Joseph Schwantner and Samuel Adler. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1975 and went on to earn his Master of Music degree from the University of California, San Diego, where he studied with Roger Reynolds. Felder's early works were influenced by the avant-garde music of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the works of composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis. His compositions often feature complex rhythms, unconventional instrumental techniques, and electronic sounds. One of Felder's early works, "The Viola in My Life," was written in 1983 for violist Kim Kashkashian. The piece is a virtuosic solo work that explores the full range of the viola's capabilities. It has since become a staple of the contemporary viola repertoire. In the 1990s, Felder began to incorporate more traditional tonal elements into his compositions. His works from this period often feature lush harmonies and melodic lines, while still retaining his signature rhythmic complexity and use of electronic sounds. One of Felder's most well-known works is "Les Quatre Temps Cardinaux," which was commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation and premiered in 1997. The piece is a four-movement work for large orchestra and electronics that explores the four seasons and their associated cardinal directions. The work has been performed by orchestras around the world and has received critical acclaim for its innovative use of electronic sounds. Felder's later works have continued to push the boundaries of contemporary classical music. His 2015 work "Les Quatre Temps Cardinaux II" is a sequel to his earlier work and features a similar structure but with new material and a more prominent role for the electronics. In addition to his work as a composer, Felder is also a respected educator. He has taught at the State University of New York at Buffalo since 1985 and has served as the director of the school's Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music since 2006. He has also taught at the Eastman School of Music, the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Michigan. Felder has received numerous awards and honors for his work as a composer, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fromm Music Foundation commission, and a Koussevitzky Music Foundation commission. He was also elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2003. Overall, David Felder is a highly respected composer of contemporary classical music whose works have pushed the boundaries of the genre. His innovative use of electronic sounds and complex rhythms has earned him critical acclaim and a place among the most important composers of his generation.

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