Dan Welcher
Encyclopedia
Dan Welcher is an American
composer
, conductor, and music educator.
and earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music
and the Manhattan School of Music
, studying bassoon
, piano
, and composition. He served the Louisville Orchestra
as its Principal Bassoonist and taught composition and theory at the University of Louisville
from 1972 to 1978. He also taught composition and bassoon at the Aspen Music Festival and School
from 1976 until 1990. He joined the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin
Butler School of Music in 1978 where he founded the UT New Music Ensemble
. During this time he also served as the assistant conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra
from 1980 until 1990.
Welcher's compositions include concertos, symphonies, vocal literature
, piano solos
, and various kinds of chamber music
. He also wrote two operas, Della's Gift, which premiered at in Austin in 1987, and Holy Night, which premiered in 2004. Della's Gift has been performed with several opera companies including the New York City Opera
. With over one hundred works to his credit, Welcher is currently one of the most-played living composers still writing. His works have been performed by such ensembles as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
, the Honolulu Symphony
, the Boston Pops Orchestra
, the Utah Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. His music is published by the Theodore Presser Company
, among others. Recently completed works include Personal Ads: Eight Cabaret Songs, which is a song cycle for piano, soprano and tenor, and the Fifth Symphony, recently premiered by the Austin Symphony Orchestra
. According to Welcher himself, the opera, The Yellow Wallpaper "...once [it has been] presented and recorded, will quickly take its place in the repertory of one-woman tours-de-force, like Poulenc's opera LE VOIX HUMAINE."
Welcher’s numerous accolades include awards and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation
, National Endowment for the Arts
, the Rockefeller Foundation
, the MacDowell Colony
, Yaddo
, the American Music Center
, and ASCAP.
Welcher currently holds the Lee Hage Jamail Regents Professorship in Composition at the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music, teaching music composition, and serving as Director of the UT New Music Ensemble
, which he founded in 1978.
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...
, conductor, and music educator.
Biography
Welcher was born in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
and the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
, studying bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and composition. He served the Louisville Orchestra
Louisville Orchestra
The Louisville Orchestra is the primary orchestra in Louisville, Kentucky and has been called the cornerstone of the Louisville arts scene. It was founded in 1937 by Robert Whitney and Charles Farnsley, Mayor of Louisville...
as its Principal Bassoonist and taught composition and theory at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
from 1972 to 1978. He also taught composition and bassoon at the Aspen Music Festival and School
Aspen Music Festival and School
The Aspen Music Festival and School, founded in 1949, is an internationally renowned classical music festival that presents music in an intimate, small-town setting...
from 1976 until 1990. He joined the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Butler School of Music in 1978 where he founded the UT New Music Ensemble
UT New Music Ensemble
The UT New Music Ensemble is a contemporary chamber music group based at the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music...
. During this time he also served as the assistant conductor of the Austin Symphony Orchestra
Austin Symphony Orchestra
The Austin Symphony Orchestra is the oldest performing group in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1911, and is celebrating its centenary year in 2011....
from 1980 until 1990.
Welcher's compositions include concertos, symphonies, vocal literature
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
, piano solos
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and various kinds of chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
. He also wrote two operas, Della's Gift, which premiered at in Austin in 1987, and Holy Night, which premiered in 2004. Della's Gift has been performed with several opera companies including the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
. With over one hundred works to his credit, Welcher is currently one of the most-played living composers still writing. His works have been performed by such ensembles as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Robert Spano has been its music director since 2001...
, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
, the Honolulu Symphony
Honolulu Symphony
The Honolulu Symphony, also known as the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1900. The Honolulu Symphony is the oldest symphony orchestra in the USA west of the Rocky Mountains. Originally housed in a clubhouse on the slopes of Punchbowl, the Honolulu Symphony now plays from the Neal S...
, the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
, the Utah Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....
, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. His music is published by the Theodore Presser Company
Theodore Presser Company
The Theodore Presser Company is an American music publishing and distribution company located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and formerly based in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It is the oldest continuing music publisher in the United States.-Theodore Presser:...
, among others. Recently completed works include Personal Ads: Eight Cabaret Songs, which is a song cycle for piano, soprano and tenor, and the Fifth Symphony, recently premiered by the Austin Symphony Orchestra
Austin Symphony Orchestra
The Austin Symphony Orchestra is the oldest performing group in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1911, and is celebrating its centenary year in 2011....
. According to Welcher himself, the opera, The Yellow Wallpaper "...once [it has been] presented and recorded, will quickly take its place in the repertory of one-woman tours-de-force, like Poulenc's opera LE VOIX HUMAINE."
Welcher’s numerous accolades include awards and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
, National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, the MacDowell Colony
MacDowell Colony
The MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.A., founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...
, Yaddo
Yaddo
Yaddo is an artists' community located on a 400 acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment."...
, the American Music Center
American Music Center
The American Music Center is a non-profit organization which aims to promote the creating, performing, and enjoying new American music. The organization was founded in 1939 by composers Marion Bauer, Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, Harrison Kerr, Otto Luening, and Quincy Porter.The organization has a...
, and ASCAP.
Welcher currently holds the Lee Hage Jamail Regents Professorship in Composition at the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music, teaching music composition, and serving as Director of the UT New Music Ensemble
UT New Music Ensemble
The UT New Music Ensemble is a contemporary chamber music group based at the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music...
, which he founded in 1978.
Orchestra
- Beyond Sight (for a tone poem after Plato for orchestraOrchestraAn orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
; 1999) - Bridges (for five pieces for string orchestraString orchestraA string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
; 1991) - Bright Wings: A Valediction (for large orchestra; 1996)
- Castle Creek Fanfare/Overture (for large orchestra; 1989)
- Concerto de Camera (for bassoonBassoonThe bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
and small orchestra; 1975) - Concerto for Clarinet (for clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and orchestra; 1989) - Concerto for Flute (for fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and orchestra; 1974) - Concerto for Piano (Shiva's Drum) (for pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and orchestra; 1993) - Concerto for Timpani (for timpaniTimpaniTimpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
and orchestra; 2004) - Concerto for Violin (for violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and orchestra; 1993) - Dervishes (for ritual dance scene for orchestra; 1976)
- Haleakala: How Maui Snared the Sun (for narratorNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
and orchestra; 1991) - Jackpot: A Celebratory Overture (for large orchestra; 2005)
- Night Watchers (Symphony No. 2) (for large orchestra; 1994)
- Prairie Light: Three Texas Water Colors of Georgia O'Keeffe (for orchestra; 1985)
- Spumante (for festive overture for large orchestra; 1998)
- Symphony No. 1 (for orchestra; 1992)
- Symphony No. 2 (1994)
- Symphony No. 5 (for large symphony orchestra; 2009)
- The Visions of Merlin (for orchestra; 1980)
- Venti di Mare (Sea Winds) (for fantasy-concerto for oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
and small orchestra; 1999) - Zion (for orchestra; 1999)
Wind band
- Arches: An Impression for Concert Band (for concert bandConcert bandA concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
; 1984) - Castle Creek Overture (for band; 1989)
- Circular Marches (for large wind ensemble; 1997)
- Glacier (for large wind ensemble; 2003)
- Laboring songs (for large wind ensemble; 1997)
- Minstrels of the Kells (for concert band; 2002)
- Perpetual Song (for concert band; 2000)
- Songs Without Words: Five Mood Pieces for Wind Ensemble (for wind ensemble; 2001)
- Spumante (for wind ensemble; 1999)
- Symphony No. 3 Shaker Life (for concert band; 1998)
- Symphony No. 4 American Visionary (for large wind ensemble; 2005)
- The Yellowstone Fires (for large wind ensemble; 1988)
- Zion (for wind ensemble; 1994)
Chamber music
- A Rag for Rags (for brass sextet and percussion; also for piano; 1984)
- All the Words to All the Songs (for flute and piano; 1996)
- Another Rag for Rags (for violin and piano; 2001)
- Brass Quintet (for brass quintet; 1982)
- Chameleon Music (for ten percussionists; 1987)
- Dante Dances (for clarinet and piano; 1995)
- Elizabethan Variations (for four recorders; 1968)
- Firewing: The Flame and the Moth (for oboe and percussion; 1968)
- Florestan's Falcon (for flute and piano; 2002)
- Harbor Music (String Quartet #2) (for string quartet; 1992)
- Hauntings (for tubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
ensemble; 1986) - Listen Up! A Guide to Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Tonecolor and Counterpoint (for woodwind quintet; 1986)
- Mill Songs (Four Metamorphoses after Schubert) (for oboe and bassoon; 1997)
- Nocturne and Dance (for trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
and piano; 1966) - Partita (for hornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, violin, and piano; 1980) - Phaedrus (for violin, clarinet, and piano; 1995)
- Quintet (for clarinet and string quartet; 2001)
- Reversible Jackets: Exercises in Conjugal Counterpoint (for flute and clarinet; 1987)
- Spirit Realms (Three Meditations) (for flute (dbl. piccolo & alto flute) and percussion; 1996)
- Stigma (for solo contrabassContrabassContrabass refers to a musical instrument of very low pitch; generally those pitched one octave below instruments of the bass register...
and piano; 1990) - String Quartet No. 1 (for string quartetString quartetA string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
; 1988) - The Wind Won't Listen (for bassoon and string quartet; 2002)
- Trio (for violin, violoncello, and piano; 1975)
- Tsunami (for cello, percussion and piano; 1991)
- White Mares of the Moon (for flute and harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
; 1986) - Woodwind Quintet No. 1 (for woodwind quintet; 1967)
- Woodwind Quintet No. 2 (for woodwind quintet; 1977)
- You Can Fool... (for percussion quartet; 2009)
- Zephyrus (for flute, violin, violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and cello; 1990)
Keyboard
- Dance Variations (for solo piano; 1979)
- Dreaming of Goldberg (for adult beginning piano; 1979)
- High Tech Etudes (for solo piano; 1988)
- Pachel's Bells (for solo piano; 1986)
- Sonatina (for solo piano; 1972)
- The Birth of Shiva (for solo piano; 1999)
Opera
- A Star Over Fifth Avenue (2003)
- Della's Gift (for operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in two acts; 1986) - Holy Night (for opera in three scenes and an epilogue; 2003)
- The Yellow Wallpaper (seven scenes; 2010)
Vocal and choral
- Abeja Blanca (for mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
, english horn, and piano; 1979) - Canticle of the Sun (for mezzo-soprano, mixed chorus, and organ; 2000)
- Evening Scenes: Three Poems of James Agee (for tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and chamber ensemble; 1985) - Four More Personal Ads (for tenor and piano; 2009)
- Four Personal Ads (for sopranoSopranoA soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
and piano; 2007) - Go Slow, My Soul (for medium voice and piano; 2003)
- How to Make Coq au Vin (for voice and piano; 2005)
- JFK: The Voice of Peace (for an oratorioOratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
for orchestra, chorus, and speakers; 1999) - Leaves of Grass (for a capella choirChoirA choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
; 2004) - My Life Closed Twice (for medium voice and piano; 2004)
- Remembrance in Black and White (for mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano, and percussion; 2001)
- The Bequest (for soprano and flute; 1976)
- Tickets for a Prayer Wheel (for baritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and viola; 1997) - Vox femina: A Cycle of Poems by and about Women (for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano; 1984)