Donald Grantham

In 2005, Donald Grantham received a commission from Daniel Hamermesh for Five Preludes for Piano. He has also been actively engaged as guest composer serving as: Composer-in-Residence, Hendrix College, Conway, AR, November 2004; guest composer, Baton Rouge Symphony, February 2005; Composer-in-Residence, Louisiana State University New Music Festival, February 2005; and Composer-in-Residence, Oklahoma State University, April 2005.

Premieres

A commissioned work titled New Mexico Twilight for flute and clarinet was premiered November 21, 2004, by Katherine Krebs and Jesse Krebs at Florida State University. Flourish for orchestra, commissioned by Hendrix College with funds from the Mid-America Arts Alliance, was first heard November 12, 2004, Conway, AR. The orchestral version of J’ai été au bal was commissioned and subsequently premiered February 17, 2005, by the Baton Rouge Symphony, under the direction of Timothy Muffitt. La canción desesperada for soprano solo, bass solo, violin solo, and chorus was commissioned and introduced April 7-9 by the Conspirare Chorus, directed by Craig Hella Johnson, in Austin and San Antonio, TX. A work for wind ensemble, Court Music, was commissioned and premiered by the Tokyo Kosei Wind on a July 16 concert in Singapore.

Publications

Composers on Composing for Band, GIA Publications, Inc., includes a chapter written by the composer about his music for wind ensemble and the compositional process.

Recordings

Houston Strokes, percussion ensemble; University of Houston  Percussion Ensemble, Blake Wilkins, conductor; Albany Records. We Remember Them, a cappella chorus (text from the Hebrew Union Prayer Book); Conspirare Choir, Craig Hella Johson, conductor; Clarion. Wind Ensemble Music by Donald Grantham; North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Milagro Corporon, conductor; two disc set, Klavier. Baron Cimitiére’s Mambo and Baron Samedi’s Sarabande (and Soft Shoe), wind ensemble; North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Milagro Corporon, conductor; Klavier. Retrospectives, includes “J. S. Dances,” wind ensemble; North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Milagro Corporon, conductor; Klavier.

Further Information

• 2003-2004 American Composers Update
• 2000-2001 American Composers Update
• 1999-2000 American Composers Update
• 1998-1999 American Composers Update
• SAI's Composers Bureau Online