Roger Reynolds

Roger Reynolds is an American composer born July 18, 1934 in Detroit, Michigan. He is a professor at the University of California at San Diego. He received an undergraduate degree in engineering physics from the University of Michigan where he later studied composition with Ross Lee Finney. Together with fellow Michigan classmates Robert Ashley and Gordon Mumma, Reynolds was a founding member of the ONCE Group. After receiving his PhD, he lived abroad for seven years, first in Europe then in Japan. In the late 1960s, he returned to the United States and settled in southern California where he has been based to this day.^[1]

Roger Reynolds's works most often include text and electronic elements; he is especially a pioneer in multichannel spatial explorations. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for Whispers Out of Time, a composition for string orchestra.

He says, "I believe in as wide a range of musical involvements as is feasible given the reality of life." (Swed, 1993)

Notable students

• Paul Dresher
• Thanassis Rikakis
• Chaya Czernowin
• Michael Daugherty
• David Felder
• Ben Leeds Carson
• François Rose
• Juan Campoverde
• Paul Koonce
• Joseph Waters

Discography

• Roger Reynolds: Electroacoustic Music (1993). New World Records 80431-2. Featuring The Ivanov Suite and Versions/Stages. Liner notes by Mark Swed. Texts by Tadashi Suzuki and Euripides. Back cover contains the note: "The playback levels of materials on this disc are critical to their proper representation. Some selections are to be heard at very assertive levels (particularly "Primitive Music" and "Ocean"). If the listening level is set for a full, but not too loud level for the opening cut, the remaining levels should follow as intended."
• Coconino... a shattered landscape. Arditti Quartet. Gramavision R2 79440.
• Voicespace. Lovely Music VR 1801-2
• "Process and Passion". Mark Menzies, vl; Hugh Livingston, vc Pogus P21032-2 (2 CDs)
• "WATERSHED". Steven Schick, perc. Mode Records DVD
• "Epigram and Evolution", "Wedge", "Mosaic", "A Portrait of Vanzetti". Music from the ONCE Festival 1961-61 New World Records 80567-2 (5CDs)
• Roger Reynolds/The Paris Pieces. "Odyssey", "Summer Island", "Archipelago", Autumn Island", "Fantasy for Pianist", Neuma 450-91

References

1. ^ "The Benefits of Being Outside the Loops: Roger Reynolds in conversation with Frank J. Oteri, May 13, 2009". NewMusicBox. 1 December 2009. http://www.newmusicbox.org/article.nmbx?id=6204. 

External links

• Roger Reynolds
• Mode Artist Profile: Roger Reynolds
• Edition Peters: Roger Reynolds
• CDeMUSIC: Roger Reynolds
• Lovely Music Artist: Roger Reynolds
• The Modern Word: Roger Reynolds
• Library of Congress: Music, Theater & Dance: The Roger Reynolds Collection
• (French) A biography of Roger Reynolds, from IRCAM's website.
• Roger Reynolds Interview by Bruce Duffie, December 12, 1989

Listening

• Art of the States: Roger Reynolds two works by the composer