Gary Kulesha

Gary Kulesha (born August 22, 1954 in Toronto ) is a Canadian composer, conductor, pianist and music teacher.

Kulesha was a student of William G. Andrews and Samuel Dolin at the Royal Conservatory of Music and studied from 1978 to 1981 in England with John McCabe and in 1982 with John Corigliano in New York. In the 1970s he was mainly active as a conductor (including for the CBC radio). From 1981 to 1985 he led the chamber music workshops at the Stratford Festival , from 1983 he was also chief conductor there. From 1987 to 2004 he was artistic director of the Composer Orchestra , with which he made CD and radio recordings.

In 1988 Kulesha became Composer in Residence with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra , which he conducted in 1991 for the premiere of his overture The Gates of Time . During his time as composer in residence with the Canadian Opera Company from 1993 to 1995, he wrote his first opera, Emma , which was premiered by the company. His collaboration with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra resulted in works such as his Symphony for orchestra and two conductors, which he premiered together with Jukka-Pekka Saraste , The Gates of Time (1999) and The True Color of the Sky (2000). In 2003 he received, alongside Alexina Louie and Denys Bouliane, the composer's prize of the National Arts Center Orchestra directed by Pinchas Zuckerman , with whom he worked in the following years.

Kulesha teaches at the University of Toronto and is the director of the Contemporary Music Ensemble there . He is married to the composer Larysa Kuzmenko .

Works

3 Sonatinas for piano, 1969–71
Sonata for piano, 1970
Sonata for Two Pianos , 1970-72
Trio for violin, viola and cello, 1971
Sonatina for tuba and piano, 1972
A Study in Time for tuba and piano, 1972
The Green Apple Two-Step for tuba and piano, 1973
Divertimento for wind quintet, 1973
2 Songs on texts by Emily Dickinson for mixed choir, 1973, 1979
Variations on a Theme by Paganini for trumpet and piano, 1974
Humoresque for tuba and piano, 1974
Burlesque for tuba and piano, 1974
Stardrive (March in F) for marching band, 1974
Variations for wind instruments, 1975
Sonata for horn, tuba and piano, 1975
Visions for tuba and piano, 1975
Three Lyric Pieces for recorder or transverse flute and piano or organ, 1975
Divertimento for string orchestra, 1975
Concerto for wind quintet, strings and piano, 1976
Prelude and Fugue for trumpet and piano, 1976
Bohemian Dance for tuba and piano, 1976
Sonata for tuba and organ, 1976
Three Complacencies for bass clarinet and tuba, 1976
Divertimento for Concert Band, 1976
Overture for Concert Band, 1977
Duo for bass clarinet and piano, 1977
Divertimento for quintet, 1977
Essay for orchestra, 1977
3 Caprices for solo violin, 1977–78
Sonata for trumpet, tuba and piano, 1978
Monument for Piano 4 hands , 1978
Aphorisms for piano, 1978
Concerto for tuba and orchestra or piano four hands, 1978–81
Trio for flute, cello and piano, 1979
Concertante Music for soprano saxophone and wind quintet, 1979
Suite for Two Trumpets "The Grand Canyon" , 1979
Ensembles for winds, 1979
March in B Flat for brass band, 1979
Concertino for flute and wind ensemble, 1979
Attitudes for clarinet and piano, 1980
Mysterium Coniunctionis for clarinet, bass clarinet and piano, 1980
Divertimento for wind trio, 1980
Two Pieces for wind quintet, 1980
Secrets for flute and piano, 1980
Song and Dance for violin and piano, 1980
Second Sonata for piano, 1980
Love Songs for voice and piano, 1980
Lifesongs for alto and string orchestra, 1985
Invocation and Ceremony for solo saxophone, 1981
Nocturne and Toccata for piano and percussion, 1981
Passacaglia Cadenzas and Finale for Trumpet, Tuba and Piano, 1981
Suite for percussion quartet, 1981
Encore and Reggae for marimba and tuba, 1981
Second Suite for Two Trumpets "Pike's Peak" , 1981
First Chamber Concerto for wood and brass quintets and percussion, 1981
Second Chamber Concerto for trumpet, piano and wind ensemble, 1982
Capriccio for string quartet, 1982
Festival Dances for accordion, viola, cello, bass and percussion, 1982
Pentagram for five trumpets, 1982
Canticles for wind quintet and organ, 1982
6 Bagatelles "from the Devil's Dictionary" for wind quintet, 1971–93
Piece for tuba and piano, 1983
Angels for marimba and tape, 1983
Two Pieces for Band , 1983
Third Chamber Concerto for bass clarinet and wind octet in concert, 1983
Fanfare for 10 Trumpets for Queen Elizabeth , 1984
Jazz Music for wind quintet, piano and marimba, 1984
Second essay for orchestra, 1984
Celebration Overture for orchestra, 1985
Nocturne for chamber orchestra, 1985
Serenade for string orchestra, 1985
Lifesongs for alto and string orchestra, 1985
The Emperor of Ice Cream for clarinet quartet, 1985
Soundings for wind instruments, 1985
Third Sonata for piano, 1986
Complex for electric bass and tape, 1986
Sonata for cello and piano, 1986–87
Red Emma , opera (libretto by Carol Bolt ), 1986–95
Political Implications for clarinet quartet, 1987
Mythologies for Two Pianos , 1987
Night Music for voice and piano (based on texts by William Shakespeare , Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron ), 1987
Journey Into Sunrise for saxophone quintet and orchestra, 1987
Demons for tuba and tape, 1987–88
Dreams for orchestra, 1988
The Drift of Stars for orchestra and children's choir, 1988
Ghosts for bass clarinet, piano or vibraphone, tape and live electronics, 1988
The Drift of Stars for orchestra and children's choir, 1988
Snake for baritone and chamber ensemble (based on DH Lawrence ), 1988
Fourth Chamber Concerto for brass instruments and percussion, wind instruments and strings, 1988–89
4 Canadian Folk Songs for voice and saxophone quintet, 1989
"I saw how strangely the planets gathered ..." for ensemble, 1989
Toccata for solo percussion and tape, 1989
Concerto for marimba, bass clarinet and small orchestra, 1989
The Midnight Road (Third Essay for Orchestra) , 1990
Shaman Songs for mixed choir, clarinet and string quartet, 1990
Fifth Chamber Concerto for oboe and thirteen players, 1990–91
Wild Swans for mixed choir, harp, piano, marimba and cello (text by William Butler Yeats ), 1991
Fantasia Quasi Una Sonata for violin and piano, 1991
Trio for violin, cello and piano, 1991
The Gates of Time , 1991
Concerto for recorder and small orchestra, 1991
A Book of Mirrors for two pianos and percussion, 1992
Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra , 1992
Concertante Dances , 1993
"... and dark time flowed by her like a river ..." for violin, viola or cello and piano, 1993
Masks for recorder and guitar, 1994
Two Pieces for Piano , 1994
Pro et Contra for violin and cello, 1995
Conceits for solo recorder, 1995
Quintet Sonata for marimba and string quartet, 1996
Sinfonia for Brass Band, Piano, and Harp , 1995
Four Fantastic Landscapes for piano, 1996
Symphony for orchestra and two conductors, 1997
Concerto for violin and orchestra, 1998
Sextet for flute, oboe, vibraphone, piano, violin and cello, 1998
Concerto for Accordion and Brass Band , 1998
Partita for piano and string orchestra, 1999
The True Color of the Sky , 1999
The Last Duel , opera (libretto by Michael Albano ), 1999–2000
Syllables of Unknown Meaning , 2000
Blue Heron on Old Mill Bridge for soprano and piano (text by Raymond Souster ), 2000
Trio # 2 for violin, piano and cello, 2000–01
Concerto for strings, harp and percussion, 2001
The Rose , 2002
Second Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra, 2002
Give us peace for eight-part mixed choir, 2002
Sixth Chamber Concerto for oboe, cor anglais, bassoon, double bassoon, two violins, viola, cello and double bass, 2002
Night Watch for mixed choir and clarinet (text by Charles GD Roberts ), 2003
Variations on a Theme by Benjamin Britten , 2003
Trio for horn, violin and piano, 2004
Cages for solo percussion and tape, 2004

Web link

Homepage of Gary Kulseha

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personal data
SURNAME	Kulesha, Gary
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Canadian composer, pianist, conductor and music educator
DATE OF BIRTH	August 22, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH	Toronto