Damon Ferrante
Encyclopedia
Damon Ferrante is an American
composer
whose works have been performed in concert halls and performance venues throughout North America, most notably, Carnegie Hall
, Symphony Space, Guild Hall, and Theatre Project.
His opera, Jefferson & Poe, (with librettist Daniel Mark Epstein
), received its premiere in 2005 at Symphony Space
in Manhattan
. His song cycle, The Mountain & Tidewater Songs (also on texts by Epstein), has been performed throughout the United States (including Carnegie Hall
) since 2006.
Geoffrey Himes of Baltimore City Paper
states, "If the tune has the elegance of traditional opera, the harmonization is very modern as the vocal lines climb and descend the melodic staircases that Ferrante has constructed for them".
Anne Midgette
, writing in the New York Times on Friday, December 2, 2005, cited Ferrante's opera Jefferson and Poe as one the three operas to see in New York in early December; the two other operas listed were productions of La bohème
and Carmen
at the Metropolitan Opera
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
whose works have been performed in concert halls and performance venues throughout North America, most notably, Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Symphony Space, Guild Hall, and Theatre Project.
His opera, Jefferson & Poe, (with librettist Daniel Mark Epstein
Daniel Mark Epstein
Daniel Mark Epstein is an American poet, dramatist and biographer.Epstein earned his B.A. from Kenyon College...
), received its premiere in 2005 at Symphony Space
Symphony Space
Symphony Space is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theatre or the 160-seat Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater. Programs include music, dance, theater, film, and literary readings...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. His song cycle, The Mountain & Tidewater Songs (also on texts by Epstein), has been performed throughout the United States (including Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
) since 2006.
Critical Reaction
Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun calls Ferrante's music "focused and colorful...with an unexpected, decidedly poetic touch".Geoffrey Himes of Baltimore City Paper
Baltimore City Paper
Baltimore City Paper is a free alternative weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, founded in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. Current owner Times-Shamrock Communications purchased the paper in 1987...
states, "If the tune has the elegance of traditional opera, the harmonization is very modern as the vocal lines climb and descend the melodic staircases that Ferrante has constructed for them".
Anne Midgette
Anne Midgette
Anne Midgette is an American journalist and classical music critic. Her father was the painter Willard Midgette.Midgette is a 1986 graduate of Yale University. After university, she lived for 11 years in Munich, Germany, reviewing opera, music and art throughout Europe for The Wall Street...
, writing in the New York Times on Friday, December 2, 2005, cited Ferrante's opera Jefferson and Poe as one the three operas to see in New York in early December; the two other operas listed were productions of La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
and Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
.
Selected works
- Jefferson & Poe: A Lyric Opera in Two Acts
- Super Double Lite: An Opera in Two Acts
- Toward Home: An Evening Length Work for Modern Dance
- The Mountain and Tidewater Songs: A Song Cycle for Baritone and Piano Trio
- Snow Moon: A Piano Sonata
- Dreaming Cities: A Piano Trio
- Guitar Concerto