Allan Rae (born 3 July 1942 in Blairmore, Alberta) is a Canadian composer, conductor, and trumpeter based in Calgary. An associate and former board member of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, he is particularly known for his works for the theatre which include several musicals and operas as well as incidental music. He has been commissioned to write music for productions mounted by the National Arts Centre, the Shaw Festival, and the Stratford Festival, as well as Theatre Passe Muraille, Vancouver Playhouse, Theatre Calgary, and the Globe Theatre, Regina. Between 1985 and 2000 he was composer-in-residence at Alberta Theatre Projects.
He has also written numerous symphonic and many chamber works, including commissions for the Calgary Philharmonic and the Calgary Youth Orchestra. His music has been performed by Carol McLaughlin, Gloria Saarinen and Cenek J. Vrba among others.
Rae studied composition and arranging at the Berklee College of Music. He later studied electronic music and composition with Samuel Dolin at The Royal Conservatory of Music from 1970-1973. He began his career as a trumpeter in the Canadian Army Band. He worked for CBC Calgary TV and radio as a composer and conductor from 1966-1970. He served briefly on the music faculty at the RCMT in 1973-1974.
Through a Broken Window 1970 (twelve short movements)Songs for Children 1978 Book #1Alam Al Mithal 1978Songs for Children 1980 Book #2Poetic Petits #3 (n.d)Be true, you need not fail 1999Mirror of Galadriel 1977Fantazzia 1979Be true, you need not fail 2005 (see above for solo piano version)String Quartet #1 1967Autumn Colours (WW. Quartet) 1969A Day in the Life of a Toad (Brass Quintet) 1970Impressions (WW. Quintet) 1971Sleep Whispering (Flute, Percussion, Piano) 1971String Quartet #2 1971Things to Play on A Boring Day (Thirteen short Trumpet duets) 1972Ode to a Pumpkin (Quintet for Percussion) 1973Poems for Trio (Violin, Piano, Cello) 1974Four Brass Quartets 1975On the Wind (Violin, Piano, Cello) 1976Rainbow Sketches (Flute, Oboe, Violin, Piano, two Percussion) 1976Alto Flute Sonata 1977Improvisations for String Quartet 1977Improvisations for WW Quartet 1977Whispering of the Nagual (Flute, Bb Clarinet, Bb Trumpet, Trombone, Cello, Piano and Percussion) 1978Images #1 (Trumpet and F Horn) 1979Images #2 (Flute and Clarinet) 1979,Images #3 (Bb Trumpet, F Horn, Tuba) 1979Images #4 (Flute, Bb Clarinet, Bassoon) 1979Kiwani Owapi (Two Pianos, Bb Clarinet, Two Percussion) 1981Reflections (Violin, Piano, Cello) 1981Something Old, Something New (Brass Quintet) 1981En Passant (Two Marimbas) 1982Ancien Régime (Cello and Piano) 1986Caamora (Piano and Violin) 1987Serenade (Tuba and Piano) 1991Chanson da Camera (String Quartet) 1993March 10 - Chinook, Hallulelujah (Violin, Flute, Cello, Marimba) 1993Poetic Petits #2 (Harp and Clarinet) 1993Poetic Petits #4 (String Quartet) 1993Poetic Petits #5 (Harp, Flute, Bb Clarinet) 1993Poetic Petits #6 (String Quartet) 1993Poetic Petits#7 (Bb Clarinet, F Horn, Harp, Marimba) 1993Poetic Petits #8 (Alto Flute, Bb Clarinet, F Horn, Marimba, Harp) 1993Poetic Petits #9 (Alto Flute, Marimba, Harp) 1993Circles (Clarinet, Bassoon Harp)1996Dialogues (Alto Flute, Bb Clarinet, F Horn, Marimba, Harp) 1996Echar La Casa por la Ventana (String Quartet) 1996Hay Que Gozar Mucho Para Desquitarse do la Vida (String Quartet, Alto Flute, Harp, Marimba)1996Todo esto muy Diverdo (Brass Quintet) 1996Romance (Oboe and Bassoon) 1997Even a Tyrannosaurus can be Romantic (Tuba Quartet) 1998Whispering of the Nagual (Flute, Bb Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, Percussion, Piano) 1978, revised in 1998Dialogue (Bb Clarinet, Piano, Drums and Cello)1999Energy (Piano, 2 Violins, Viola and Cello) 1999From the wings of a raven (Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola and Cello) 1999If The Raven Speaks (Violin, Viola and Cello) 1999I must speak (Clarinet and Marimba) 1999I too remember (Alto Flute, Piano and Cello) 1999There was peace (Violin and Viola) 1999Visions of the Past from the Future (Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Drums, 2 Violins, Viola and Cello) 1999With force (Violin, Viola and Cello) 1999You must pay attention (Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Drums, 2 Violins, Viola and Cello) 1999Impromptu (Marimba and Cello) 2002Scherzando (Marimba and Cello) 2002Tess (Piano and narrator) 2005Three Movements for Piano and Violin 2006Winter Chinook (Trio for three Harps) 2006A Road Through Alberta Foothills (Bass Clarinet, Piano and Violin) 2009Db Harp Concerto 1976Sonata for Bass Clarinet 1976 Strings and Bb Bass ClarinetConcerto for Bass 1977Concerto for Violin and String Ensemble 1979D Minor Piano Concerto 1978Listen to the Wind (Chorus and Orchestra) 1973Keltic Suite (SATB unaccompanied) 1993Transition (SATB and Orchestra) 1993Pacific Suite (SATB and String Orchestra) 1994Gaia - Earth Images 2009Trip (youth orchestra) 1970Wheel of Fortune 1971Two Thousand Years Ago 1972Symphony # 1 1972 "In the Shadow of Atlantis"Love is Me 1972The Hippopotamus 1972Celebration (youth orchestra) 1974Image for Orchestra 1975The Alberta Pioneers (youth orchestra) 1980Symphony #2 1978 "Winds of Change"Symphony #3 1980Mirror of Galadriel 1982 (see above for solo harp version)L`heure Entre Chien et Loup 1994Mist of Summer Seas (string orchestra) 1995Standing Stones 1995Imagenés de Baja (string orchestra) 1996Tu Hablas muy Bien 1996, Concerto for TrumpetCelebration of Spring 1998, (in four movements)Take Back the Ring 2001‘Alam Al Mithal’ (n.d.)Like Gods, Like Gods Among Them 1973 Two Act Dance DramaMirror, Mirror 1974 one act, two scene balletScarecrow 1975 Mime stage showYou Two Stay Here and the Rest Come With Me (1968-9)Trip (1969–70)Where Are You Now That We Need You Simon Fraser? (1971)Beware the Quickly Who (1971)Charles Manson AKA Jesus Christ (1972)