Greg Bartholomew
Greg Bartholomew is an American composer.
The music of award-winning composer Greg Bartholomew is frequently performed across North America and in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. NPR classical music reviewer Tom Manoff called Bartholomew “a fine composer not afraid of accessibility.”
Winner of the 2013 Cheryl A. Spector Prize (for Summer Suite), the 2012 Spector Prize (for the First Suite from Razumov), the Silver Platter Repertoire Award (for The Tree), and First Place in the 2006 Orpheus Music Composition Competition (for Beneath the Apple Tree), Bartholomew was also awarded the Masterworks Prize from ERM Media in 2005 and 2006. A two-time Finalist for the American Prize in Choral Composition (2012 and 2013), Bartholomew was the 2012/2013 Composer in Residence for the Cascadian Chorale.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1957, Bartholomew studied trombone at John Muir Elementary School and piano at Cornish College of the Arts before earning degrees from the College of William & Mary in Virginia and the University of Washington. He later sang with Seattle Pro Musica for more than fifteen years, and studied violin with Teo Benson. He currently studies trumpet with Judson Scott.
Commercial recordings of his works are available by the Czech Philharmonic, the Kiev Philharmonic, the Esoterics, Connecticut Choral Artists, the Ars Brunensis Chorus, the Langroise Trio, trumpeter James Ackley, and cellists Suzanne Mueller and Ovidiu Marinescu. Sheet music is available from ART OF SOUND MUSIC, ARS NOVA PRESS, IMAGINE MUSIC, ORPHEUS MUSIC and BURKE & BAGLEY.
For further information visit gregbartholomew.com.
First Suite from Razumov
Clarinet, String Quartet
2003
9:00
Burke & Bagley
The First and Second Suites from Razumov derive from Razumov, Greg Bartholomew's chamber opera based on the novel Under Western Eyes by Joseph Conrad (below left). The First Suite is taken from three scenes from Act One of the opera, while the Second Suite is taken from music of Act Two. The opera tells the story of a young Russian, Razumov, who is caught up in the consequences when Victor Haldin, a fellow university student, assassinates a government minister.
The First Suite was awarded the Masterworks Prize by ERM Media in 2005 and was awarded the 2012 Cheryl A. Spector Prize by the Third Millenium Ensemble. It was recorded by members of the Kiev Philharmonic for Volume 6 of the Masterworks of the New Era CD series. You may purchase the CD here.
The First Suite was premiered in its original quintet arrangement by Sean Osborn, clarinet, and the OdeonQuartet at Seattle's Town Hall on October 21, 2003, as part of the Sound Currents series of concerts co-sponsored by the Washington Composers Forum and the Seattle Composers Alliance.
The trio arrangement of the First Suite, for clarinet, cello & piano, received its premiere performance September 28, 2008, by Heather Thon, clarinet, Vicky Chow, piano, and Caleigh Drane, cello, on the Composer's Voice concert series in New York City.
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