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Composers BureauNancy GalbraithBiography
When the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra recorded her Piano Concerto No. 1 (New Energy From the Americas, Ocean Records, 1996) with conductor Keith Lockhart (Boston Pops, Utah Symphony) and pianist Ralph Zitterbart, the Cincinnati Inquirer offered this response: "A formidable work for piano in three movements, this is an equally virtuoso piece for orchestra, and a welcome addition to the concerto literature of this century." On another recent recording, Nancy Galbraith: Four Chamber Works (ÉLAN, 1999), the composer's Rhythms and Rituals inspired Chamber Music Magazine to write, "An example of the kind of piece that should be the 'sound of classical music' on today's radio stations." Galbraith has enjoyed numerous performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, including premieres with conductors Gennady Rozhdestvensky and Mariss Jansons. In 2002 the PSO premiered her new symphony, De profundis ad lucem. Following the orchestra's premiere of Danza de los Duendes in 1995, the Pittsburgh Press wrote, "Galbraith has penned a score of bright allure, its minimalistic touches deftly applied and its energetic personality balanced by lyrical finesse." She has also enjoyed two premieres by Argentina's Orquesta Sinfónica de Tucumán, and repeat performances of her symphonies in the US and Mexico. Her chamber works have been performed and recorded by three prominent ensembles from Mexico City - Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Sinfonietta Ventus, and Trío Neos - by various members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and by Chili's outstanding duo Alberto Almarza (flute) and Luz Manriquez (piano). Nancy Galbraith: Four Chamber Works features compositions from the 1990's including Aeolian Muses, which also appears on Trío Neos' album Mujeres de las Américas (Quindecim, 2000). Galbraith is also currently recognized as a leader in the field of wind ensemble writing. Her compositions for this genre have become standard repertoire for ensembles throughout North America, appear on many recordings, and have enjoyed performances in Japan and the Netherlands. Danza de los Duendes opens the program on the North Texas Wind Symphony's popular album Dream Catchers (Klavier, 1998), and Elfin Thunderbolt is featured on the new IUP Wind Ensemble disk Internal Combustion (Klavier, 2001). Concerto for Piano and Wind Ensemble (2001) is her latest contribution to the repertoire. An accomplished pianist and organist, Galbraith has composed a number of works for those instruments. Her Piano Sonata No. 1 has been performed by many artists, including Pittsburgh Symphony pianist Patricia Prattis Jennings. Galbraith serves as Music Director at Christ Lutheran Church in Pittsburgh, and has composed dozens of choral anthems and liturgical settings for her choir. She enjoys a special relationship with the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and the community group Music Gettysburg!, who regularly commission and perform her music in concerts and worship services. Recently the seminary established a special library archive for the composer that will eventually house all her sacred works. Nancy Galbraith was born in on January 27, 1951, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was educated at Ohio University, West Virginia University, and Carnegie Mellon University, where she presently serves as Professor of Composition and Theory. Most of her work is published by Subito Music in Verona, New Jersey.
For more information about Nancy Galbraith, please visit her website at www.nancygalbraith.com
Contact Information Carnegie Mellon University, School of Music |
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Last updated 8/3/06 |
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Nancy Galbraith has emerged as one of the present era's most original and influential musical voices. Her distinctive American style employs an exotic array of postmodern and postminimalist elements including lyricism, polyrhythm and diatonic harmony. Her work has been praised for its energetic combination of melody and rhythm, and its bright orchestral palette.