Role

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Composer Conductor  

 

Ted Hearne is a contemporary classical music composer who was born on August 6, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a musical family, with his mother being a pianist and his father a jazz drummer. Hearne began playing the piano at a young age and later learned to play the trumpet and guitar. He attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in composition. After completing his undergraduate studies, Hearne moved to New York City to pursue a career in music. He attended the Manhattan School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree in composition. During this time, he also studied with composers such as Martin Bresnick and David Lang. Hearne's early works were heavily influenced by jazz and rock music, as well as contemporary classical music. His compositions often feature complex rhythms and harmonies, as well as unconventional instrumentation. One of his early works, "Katrina Ballads," was inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and features texts from news reports, government documents, and interviews with survivors. In 2012, Hearne's opera "The Source" premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The opera is based on the story of Chelsea Manning, the former US Army soldier who leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks. The work features a libretto by Mark Doten and incorporates elements of electronic music and video projections. Hearne's other notable works include "Sound from the Bench," a piece for chamber ensemble and electronics that was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, and "Coloring Book," a song cycle that features texts by contemporary poets such as Claudia Rankine and Dorothea Lasky. In addition to his work as a composer, Hearne is also an active performer and conductor. He has performed with the International Contemporary Ensemble and the Wet Ink Ensemble, and has conducted the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Hearne has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a New Voices Residency from the San Francisco Symphony, and a Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His music has been performed by ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Overall, Ted Hearne is a highly regarded contemporary classical music composer who has made significant contributions to the field. His works are known for their innovative use of instrumentation and incorporation of non-musical elements, as well as their social and political themes.

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