Donald Steven

Donald Steven (born May 26, 1945 in Montreal ) is a Canadian composer .

Life

Steven was active as a rock and folk musician for several years before studying composition with Bruce Mather at McGill University (1968–72) and with Milton Babbitt at Princeton University (1972–74). From 1975 he taught composition at McGill University, where he took care of the modernization of the studio for electronic music and the establishment of the studios for computer music. He was dean of the Conservatory in 1992 at Purchase College and founding dean of the "College of the Performing Arts" at the Roosevelt University . He then taught at the State University of New York and became Vice President for Academic Affairs at Rider University .

In 1970 Steven received the BMI Award for Composition Students. Two years later, he received the Canadian Federation of University Women's Creative Arts Prize. In 1987 he received the Juno Award in the “Best Classical Composition” category for Pages of Solitary Delights . In 1991 he won the Jules Léger Prize with In the Land of Pure Delight .

Stevens has received commissions from musicians such as Maureen Forrester , Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi , Bertram Turetzky , Robert Riseling and Alvaro Pierri , from the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec, the Pierrot Ensemble, the Canadian Electronic Ensemble, the New Music Concerts and the CBC .

Works

• Harbinger for soprano and orchestra, 1969
• Illusions , Elegy for solo cello, 1971
• My Friend, the Leper for string quartet, 1972
• The Transient for soprano and chamber ensemble, 1975
• Images: Refractions of Time and Space for flute, electric piano, electric bass and percussion, 1977
• For Madmen Only for cello and orchestra, 1978
• Rainy Day Afternoon for two trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba, 1979
• Night Suite , 1979
• On the Down Side for alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass trombone, percussion, keyboard and electric bass, 1982
• Ordre sans ordre (sans désordre) for guitar and chamber orchestra, 1984
• Pages of Solitary Delights for contralto and orchestra, 1985
• Straight On Till Morning for instrumental ensemble and tape, 1985
• The Breath of Many Flowers for string orchestra, 1986
• Just a Few Moments Alone for soprano saxophone, 1986
• Sapphire Song for clarinet, 1986
• Love where the Nights are Long for oboe and orchestra, 1987
• Orbits for percussion and tape, 1989
• That Other Shore for double bass and strings, 1990
• Full Valleys for children's choir, 1990
• In the Land of Pure Delight for chamber ensemble, 1991
• Lost Tracks in Time , 1992
• ô, to make dreams true , miniatures for the Harry Partch Instrumentarium, 2001
• mesmerie0000-mesmerie0100 , five computer-generated studies, 2008
• GearTrain , computer-generated isorhythmic motet, 2008
• ScatterToms , computer generated electronic music, 2013
• Evensong , computer-generated electronic music, 2015
• Generations , computer-generated electronic and ambient music, 2015
• Au Bord des Flots , Scènes Acadiennes d'autrefois pour trois jeunes ami (e) s de la clarinette, 2015