Andrew Norman (composer)

Updated on Oct 10, 2024

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Albums The Law of Mosaics, Play

Awards Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, US & Canada, Rome Prize in Musical Composition Education Yale School of Music (2004), University of Southern California Nominations Pulitzer Prize for Music, Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition Similar Ted Hearne, Caroline Shaw, Fatima Whitbread, Matthias Pintscher

Andrew Norman (born October 31, 1979) is an American composer of contemporary classical music.

Biography

Norman studied composition at the University of Southern California and Yale University. His music is often characterized by an influence of architecture, of which he has held a lifelong interest. He was composer-in-residence for the Boston Modern Orchestra Project from 2011 to 2013. Among his notable works are the 2004 Gran Turismo for violin octet, the 2010 The Companion Guide to Rome for string trio, the 2013 symphony Play, and the 2015 fantasy for piano and orchestra Split.

His composition The Companion Guide to Rome was a runner-up for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music. A recording of Play by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project was later named one of the best classical music recordings of 2015 by David Allen of The New York Times and was nominated for the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. He won the 2017 Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition for his symphonic work Play, which the music writer Will Robin suggested was "the best orchestral work that the 21st century has seen thus far". In reference to the prize, he said in an interview with NPR: "If I get more commissions, great, but maybe I can use this moment to talk about things that are important to me. Like to call attention to the fact that there are problems. For instance, this award has been given to three women out of its 30-year history. And to me that's kind of an issue. And in all honesty, I'm a white man and I get lots of commissions and there are systemic reasons for that, reasons we should all be talking about. There are so many talented composers out there. Rather than giving me another commission, why aren't we giving those people a commission?"

Chamber

Light Screens (2002) for flute and string trio

Farnsworth: Four Portraits of a House (2004) for four clarinets, flute, violin, piano, and percussion

Gran Turismo (2004) for violin octet

Garden of Follies (2006) for alto saxophone and piano

The Companion Guide to Rome (2010) for string trio

Try (2011) for large chamber ensemble

Peculiar Strokes (2011-2015) string quartet

Music in Circles (2012) for flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, viola, and cello

Frank's House (2015) two pianos and two percussion

Orchestral

Sacred Geometry (2003) for orchestra

Drip Blip Sparkle Spin Glint Glide Glow Float Flop Chop Pop Shatter Splash (2005) for orchestra

Unstuck (2008) for orchestra

The Great Swiftness (2010) for chamber orchestra

Apart (2011) for orchestra

Play (2013) for orchestra

Suspend (2014) for solo piano and orchestra

Split (2015) for solo piano and orchestra

Switch (2015) for solo percussion and orchestra

Solo

Sabina (2008-9) for violin, viola, or cello

Vocal

Lullaby (2007) for mezzo-soprano and piano

Don't Even Listen (2010)

Songs

Play: Level 1Play · 2014
Play: Level 3Play · 2014
Play: Level 2Play · 2014

References

Andrew Norman (composer) Wikipedia

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