I love writing and learning new things in order to better educate those in need. I also enjoy hackathons and adventures around the world.
Anita Sleeman
Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share
Sign in
Name
Anita Sleeman
Anita Sleeman (née Andrés) (December 12, 1930 – October 18, 2011) was a Canadian contemporary classical music composer. She was also a conductor, arranger, educator, and performer.
Born Anita Andrés December 12, 1930 in San José, California to Alejandro Andrés from Salamanca, Spain and Anita Dolgoff from Stavropol, Russia. Sleeman began taking piano lessons at age three and took up trumpet and French horn at school in San Francisco. While there, her music teachers noted her exceptional abilities at an early age (she began to show a talent for composition at age eight). Sleeman attended Placer Junior College as a music student. She met her future husband, Evan Sleeman, in Placer County and they married in 1951. They purchased a ranch in Elko County, Nevada and along with their six children immigrated to Canada in 1963. They lived on a ranch in the remote Anahim Lake area near Bella Coola. In 1967, the couple relocated to Tsawwassen, Metropolitan Vancouver. Throughout her life she played the French horn in a variety of stage and concert bands and performed as a keyboardist in jazz ensembles.
Career
At age 19 Sleeman composed a march that was played at her community college's commencement in 1950 (the first public performance of her work). Sleeman taught music appreciation at the Anahim Lake elementary school. While in Anahim Lake she played piano and organ at many community gatherings. Sleeman resumed music studies at the University of British Columbia, earning a BMus in 1971, and MMus (on a graduate fellowship) in 1974. At UBC she was a pupil of Jean Coulthard and during that time she taught at the electronic music lab, co-founded the Delta Youth Orchestra, and was involved in the establishment of the music program at the Capilano College in North Vancouver as a member of its music faculty. She returned to California to complete her doctorate (1982) at the University of Southern California attending master classes with Luciano Berio, Luigi Nono, and Charles Wuorinen. She also attended the Dick Grove School of Jazz. For 17 years she served as musical director and conductor of West Vancouver's Ambleside Orchestra, retiring in 2010.
Her compositions have been premiered in London, England and Fiuggi, Italy as well as in Ottawa, Windsor and Vancouver; commissions include CBC Radio, Vancouver Community College, the Delta Youth Orchestra, the Galiano Trio, and others. At an early age Sleeman was introduced to the music of Olivier Messiaen, whose inspiration has been important in her development. Other influences are Varèse, Stravinsky, Koechlin, Lígeti, and Bartók. Her diversity of style has also been enhanced by her Spanish and Russian background and her love of jazz. She admired the work of Frank Zappa, to whose memory she dedicated selected performances of her work.
Partial list of compositions
Antiphon (for Trumpet and Organ), 1947; Premiere: March 19, 1974, UBC Recital Hall, Vancouver, BC, Alan Ridgway, trumpet, Dietrich Bartel, organ.
Cambios: Op. 37 (for flute, clarinet and bassoon), 1990; Premiere: Jan. 1991, Firehouse Theatre, Vancouver, B.C., The Galiano Trio
Cantigas (for string quartet [2vln/vla/vc]), 2001; Premier: July 2003, Moncton, NB, performed by Quatuor Arthur Leblanc
Cantus (for concert band), 1981; Premiere: March 1981, Hancock Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA; USC Composers' Ensemble, Joyce Shintani, conductor
Capriccio (for trombone, violin and orchestra): op. 20, 2001; Premier: January 2001, Chrysler Theatre, Windsor, Ontario; performers: Dale Sorensen, trombone; Lillian Scheirich, violin; Windsor Symphony Orchestra; Susan Haig, conductor
Carol of the Bells: A Fantasy on the Christmas Carol (for concert band), 1989; Premier: Dec. 12, 1989, South Delta High School Auditorium, Tsawwassen, B.C.; Delta Band, Rob Colquhoun, conductor
Celebration Overture (for concert band), 1994; Premiere: Nov. 1994, Mt. Seymour United Church, North Vancouver, BC; West Vancouver Concert Band, Arthur Smith, conductor
Concertino for Trombone and Band, 1977
Concerto for Twelve Players (for flute [piccolo, alto flute], English horn, clarinet (bass clarinet), trombone, 3 percussion, Rhodes piano, harp, guitar, violin, double bass; Premiere: Dec. 1, 1980, Hancock Auditorium, USC, Los Angeles, California
Cryptic Variations (for symphonic wind ensemble), 2000; Commissioned by Vancouver Community College in commemoration of its 25th anniversary; Premiere: Mar 18, 2000, Caulfeild School Auditorium, West Vancouver, BC; Vancouver Community College Wind Ensemble, Jerry Llyod Domer, conductor
Duo for flute and piano in 3 untitled movements, 1979
Fanfares, canons and fugues (for 2 trumpets, horn and trombone), 1979; Premiere: Oct. 1979, Schoenberg Institute, Los Angeles, California
The Legend of the Lions, Op. 40, (for flute, clarinet, bassoon and dancer with narration by the performers), 1992, words in English from a story by Pauline Johnson; Premiere: Feb. 4, 1993, Douglas College, New Westminster, BC; Galiano Trio. Indigenous themes
Little Suite (for flute, clarinet and bassoon), 1998; commissioned by the Galiano Trio
Palm Court Music, Op. 38 (for alto saxophone, violin, violoncello, percussion and piano, 1991; Premiere: June 17, 1991, Vancouver Arts Council Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia; David Branter, alto sax, Toni Stanick, violin, Heather Hay, cello, Robert Caldwell, percussion, Terence Dawson, piano
Passacaglia Concertante, Op. 36, 1990; Premiere: June 13, 1990, Newport Performing Arts Center, Newport, Oregon, Ernest Bloch Festival Orchestra, Anthony Armoré, conductor
Picasso Gallery II (for clarinet, violin, cello and piano), 1996
Prelude for Piano, Op. 26, 1980; Premiere: Dec. 1, 1980, Hancock Auditorium, USC, Los Angeles; Marcie O'Donnell, piano
Recollections, Op. 32 (for flute and string quartet), 1985; Premiere: Oct. 6, 1985, Presentation House Gallery, N. Vancouver, B.C.; K. Cernauskas, flute, Pro Nova String Quartet
Rose Adagio (for mezzo-soprano and piano), 1987; words in English by Norman Frizzle
Tafelmusik (for flute, clarinet and bassoon), 1991; Premiere: Oct. 9, 1991, Christchurch Cathedral, Vancouver; Michael Cheramy, Lori Freedman, David Boddington
Trio (for piano trio [violin, violoncello, piano]), 1993; Premiere: June 14, 1993, Arts Council Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia; performers: Artemis Trio: Sheila MacDonald, violin; Heather Hay, violoncello; Valerie Rutter, piano
Two pieces for clarinet and piano, 1989; Premiere: June 1989, Vancouver Arts Council Gallery; Johanna Hauser, clarinet, Alice Enns, piano
Variations, Op. 33 (for flute [piccolo], oboe [English horn], clarinet [bass clarinet[, horn, 3 violins, 2 violas, 2 violoncellos, double bass), 1986; Performed at Scotia Dance Centre (sponsored by CMC) under direction of Giorgio Magnanensi (date unknown)
Wind Games (for flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano and percussion, 1994; written at the invitation of the Vancouver New Music Society in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Music Centre; Premiere: Nov. 27, 1994, Vancouver Playhouse; Vancouver New Music Society Ensemble
List of additional performances
February 1997: The Galiano Trio (flute, clarinet, bassoon) presented a concert of Sleeman's works, as part of the Little Chamber Series That Could season. This performance featured her Legend of the Lions and was enhanced by dance, and projected scene design by her daughter Cynthia Sleeman.
September 1997: Sleeman was selected to represent Canada at the Donna in Musica festival in Fiuggi, Italy.
September 1999: Picasso Gallery II was chosen for performance at the International Association of Women in Music Festival in London, England.
January 2002: Cantigas (commissioned by ACWC) was premiered in Ottawa by the Quatuor Arthur- Leblanc at the Then, Now and Beyond series sponsored jointly by Association of Canadian Women Composers and the Ottawa Chamber Music Society. The performance piece was repeated August 6, 2002 at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, again performed by the Quatuor Arthur-Leblanc, in the presence of Her Excellency the Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson.
July 2006: a new piece commissioned for the CBC, Rhapsody on Themes by Dohnanyi, was premiered in Ottawa, Ontario at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and performed again in 2007.
Death
Sleeman died early in the morning of October 18, 2011 at her home in North Vancouver, British Columbia. A memorial service for her was held on November 26, 2011 at St. Christopher's Anglican Church, West Vancouver.
Critical reception
Critic Ken Winters of The Globe and Mail praised Sleeman's work Cantigas as "remarkable", continuing, "It's as resourceful as Bartók in exploiting string techniques and sound potentials, and just as vigorous musically."
