Karel Husa ***

On their tour of the U.S., the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra performed SAI National Arts Associate Karel Husa's Pastoral for Strings in his presence at the October 3, 2003, Ithaca College subscription concert. Husa's works for wind ensemble - 16 in all - are featured in two recently released publications, Composers on Composing for Band (GIA Publications, Chicago) and Contemporary Wind Composers (Meredith Press). Two of his works were heard at recent world conferences, the Saxophone Concerto, as performed by Steve Mauk and the Belgian Orchestre des Guides (A. Crepin, conductor) at the World Saxophone Congress in Minneapolis (MN) July 11, 2003; and Les Couleurs Fauves at the WASBE Conferences by the Nanset Musikkorps (O.T. Lysebo, conductor) in Sweden. Karel Husa will be the BMI visiting composer at the Blair School of Music February 25-March 7, 2004. Husa will give masterclasses and meet with student composers. The closing concert will feature Husa's Music for Prague 1969, Concerto for Saxophone, Scenes from "The Trojan Women" and the String Quartet No. 4 (Poems).

Performances

Music for Prague 1968 received multiple performances in 2003: February 7-9, Milwaukee (WI) Symphony Orchestra, Andreas Delfs, conductor; March 27, Nürenberg B. Orchestra (Germany), M. Hamers, conductor; April 16, Leipzig Radio Orchestra (Germany), Jan Cobeer, conductor. Music for Prague 1968 is also scheduled to be presented January 9-10, 2004, by the Dayton (OH) Philharmonic, Neal Gittleman, conductor. Elegie Et Ron was heard March 1 at Ithaca College, March 1 at SUNY-Fredonia March 1, and April 27 at Bowling Green (OH) College. Serenade for woodwind quintet and orchestra, was played by the St. Paul Church Orchestra under the direction of Andreas Delfs; it was also heard April 13, Chamber Orchestra Berg, P. Vrabel, conductor, Prague, The Czech Republic. Evocations Slovakia was heard in performance at Ithaca College on November 4, and Eastman School of Music on December 6.

Publications

Sonatina for Flute and Piano; AMP (G. Schirmer).

Recordings

Karel Husa/First Recordings: Music for Prague 1968 and Apotheosis of This Earth, conductors J. Mester and K. Husa, Louisville Orchestra recording project.

***Sigma Alpha Iota National Arts Associate

Further Information

• 2001-2002 American Composers Update
• 2000-2001 American Composers Update
• 1999-2000 American Composers Update
• 1998-1999 American Composers Update
• 1997-1998 American Composers Update
• 1996-1997 American Composers Update
• SAI's Composers Bureau Online
• SAI's Music for Young People section