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Composers Bureau
Lora Aborn
Biography
Lora Aborn began music studies at the Effa Ellis Perfield School
of Music in New York City, studying piano, music theory and composition.
Upon her mother's death she was sent to live with her
maternal grandparents in California where she stayed through 4 years
of high school. There she studied piano and voice, played with the
school orchestra and chorus and 4-piece jazz band earning her first
"money".
As her mother had planned, she attended Oberlin Conservatory
where a talent for composing was recognized and she was taught privately
and generously in compositing by Dr. George W. Andrews, dean of the
school.
Continuing her studies at the American Conservatory
in Chicago she was awarded the gold medal for composition when she
graduated. She continued studying under her composition teacher, John
Palmer, as a protégé for many years.
Miss Aborn has written in all categories; ballet, voice
(solo and choral), instrumental, piano, organ, opera, orchestra and
varied chamber works.
Lora Aborn, Composer, was for many years organist and
director of music at the Unitarian Universalist Church, Frank Lloyd
Wright's Unity Temple, where she is now composer-in-residence.
Miss Aborn's music has been played in various forms
throughout the United States, in Europe and in China, and she was
named in the top list of American women composers.
Among her commissioned works are five full length ballets
and many solo dances for Walter Camryn, Bentley Stone, Ruth Page and
the Chicago Grand Opera Ballet Company, two commissioned works for
the Chicago Chamber Choir and The Mystic Trumpeter for trumpet
solo, baritone and organ, commissioned by Dexter Bailey, concert organist.
The Mystic Trumpeter with text by Walt Whitman was transcribed
for orchestra, trumpet and voice and first played by The Lake Forest
Symphony in 1980 with Victor Aitay conducting, and by Oak Park-River
Forest Symphony in 1982, Perry Crafton conducting. In 1987 the ballet
score In My Landscape was performed by the Oak Park Symphony
with Robert Smith, narrator.
As a lifetime composer, Miss Aborn's compositions include
works in all fields. One of her special joys has been writing vocal
solos and choral works, to texts of her own choosing for the church
services over more than forty years.
A never-ending flow of first performances has been given
at the Unity Temple in Oak Park.
Highlights
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First public performance at age ten playing a
short program of her own compositions at Wannamaker Hall in New
York City
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Attended Oberlin College and American Conservatory
graduating with honors, winning the Gold Medal for composition
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Studied organ at Oberlin, and with Van Dusen at
American Conservatory
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The first of Carnegie Hall performances began
with Capriccio Fantastico for Two Pianos
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Commissioned by the Chicago Grand Opera Ballet
to compose the music for American Woman
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Commissioned to do a series of dances for Walter
Camryn, dancer of American themes
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World premier performance of Fugue in Yellow
at the Mexico City Opera House
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Won National Award for composing Ethan Frome,
a tone poem for full string orchestra
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Noted entymologist named a newly found species
of moth Lorita Abornana in her honor for her work Fugue
in Blue
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Sponsored by Sigmund Spaeth to membership in the
National Association of Composers and Conductors
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Stone-Camryn Ballet went on tour with four of
her dances on program
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Bentley Stone appearing as guest artist with several
European ballet companies dances Punchdrunk in London, Paris,
Havana, etc.
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Rhapsody for Two Pianos and Orchestra given
first performance in Town Hall with Silvio and Isabel Scionti
at the piano
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First performance of the ballet Reunion
given at the National Dance Festival at Jacobs Pillow, Mass and
taken on tour immediately following, by the Chicago Grand Opera
Ballet
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The ballet Strange New Street given its
first performance at the Illinois Dance Festival with John Kriza
and Ruth Ann Koesun of American Ballet Theater in the lead roles
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The Stone-Camryn Ballet gave the first performance
of In My Landscape with guest stars and was reviewed by
the New York Times even though it had never been produced
in that city
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Joseph Cole sang My Country is the World
at Orchestra Hall in Chicago, which was so well received that
he added How Do I Love Thee to his New York City Performances
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The Lonely Ones, a ballet based on the
cartoon characters of William Steig had the distinction of being
panned by the critics who one year later did a complete reversal
of opinion though not a single change was made in the choreography
or music
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Gift of the Magi and Mitty, both
one-act operas; have been received with enthusiastic approval
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Song of Life for strings, percussion, organ,
baritone solo and chorus was commissioned by The Chicago Chamber
Choir
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Through the mediums of ballet, piano, and voice
she has had the good fortune to have her music played in most
of the major concert halls in America
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Miss Aborn was organist and music director at
the Frank Lloyd Wright Unity Temple for over forty years. Finding
a need of appropriate words and music for this church she has
written over forty songs and choral numbers for the services.
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Three of Lora's compositions are featured on the
CD "My Native Land (1997) - A Collection of American Songs",
performed by Jennifer Larmore, world-renowned mezzo-soprano. The
works are T'is Winter Now, Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's
Day, and Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace
Further Information
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