Aaron Jay Kernis
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2018) |
Aaron Jay Kernis | |
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Born | Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. | January 15, 1960
Genres | Contemporary classical music |
Occupation(s) | Composer |
Instrument(s) | Piano |
Aaron Jay Kernis (born January 15, 1960) is a
Background, early life, and education
Aaron Jay Kernis was born in
Works
Orchestral works
Aaron Kernis found immediate success as a composer when his work Dream of the Morning Sky was premiered in 1983 by the New York Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta conducting. He was only 23 years old at the time, but won unanimous praise for an incident that took place. In an open rehearsal, in front of an audience, Zubin Mehta stopped the orchestra to complain loudly about the vagueness of the score. Rather than being cowed by the strong-willed conductor, Aaron Jay Kernis simply replied, "Just read what's there." The audience applauded young Kernis for sticking up for his work, and within weeks the story received national attention.[2]
Kernis has written more than 30 works for orchestra including
. His key orchestral works include Musica Celestis, New Era Dance, Lament and Prayer, Newly Drawn Sky, and Colored Field.Non-orchestral works
Although Kernis is known best for orchestral works, he has also written more than 30 works for chamber ensemble, 22 works for [chorus], and 14 solo [keyboard] compositions. Air and
Musical style
Kernis's style has been described as having neo-romantic intensity with exuberant imagination. His thematic material tends to keep audiences engaged while his sound palette offers them an innovative approach to orchestration. There have been many comparisons drawn to
100 Greatest Dance Hits features a wide range of
Kernis often starts his works with a visual image or concrete idea. Lament and Prayer for Orchestra (1996) was written to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the
Prizes, awards, and commissions
Aaron Jay Kernis has been honored by
Kernis has received
In 2013, Kernis was inducted in to the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, and he was awarded the A. I. duPont Composers Award from the Delaware Symphony. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, he also was awarded the Stoeger Prize from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center,[15] the Joseph H. Bearns Prize, and a New York Foundation for the Arts Award.[16]
In 2019, a
Discography
More than 45 of Kernis's compositions have been recorded by major ensembles and soloists.
References
- ^ a b c Composers: Aaron Jay Kernis. September 2012. http://www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=2&composerId_2872=824 Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ Alan Rich. "Aaron Jay Kernis". In Contemporary Composers, edited by Brian Morton and Pamela Collins, 483. Chicago and London: St. James Press, 1992.
- ^ Rich, Contemporary Composers, 484.
- ^ David L. Post and Joshua Levine. "American Classics". Forbes Vol. 166, no. 4 (2000): 150-152. Music Index, EBSCOhost Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Benjamin Ivry. "A Composer of Grand Gestures". Christian Science Monitor. January 4, 2002. Lexis-Nexis Academic. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Michael Anthony. "Aaron Jay Kernis." American Record Guide 60, no. 3 (1997): 32. Music Index, EBSCOhost. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Michael Anthony. "St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: Kernis Concerto". American Record Guide Vol. 60, no. 3 (1997): 53. Music Index, EBSCOhost. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Allen Gimbell. "Quartet 2/Quartet 9". American Record Guide Vol. 75, no. 1 (2012): 110-111. Music Index, EBSCOhost. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ Heidi Waleson. "Superman the Muse for Metropolis Symphony". Billboard. February 15, 1997. Lexis-Nexis Academic. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "The 1998 Pulitzer Prize Winners: Music". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 20 November 2013. With short biography and material on the work including audio excerpt.
- ^ "2002- Aaron Jay Kernis". Archived from the original on 2014-07-24.
- ^ Aaron Jay Kernis Wins 2012 Nemmers Prize. May 2012. http://music.yale.edu/news/?p=6961 Retrieved 12 October 2012.
- ^ Daniel Webster. "Roth and Graham Win Arts Pulitzers/Also Honored was Composer Aaron Jay Kernis, who was Born in Bensalem and Studied in Philadelphia". The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 15, 1998. SF Edition. Lexis-Nexis Academic. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ David Patrick Stearns. "Composer Kernis ends a Fruitful Residency with Astral Artists". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 22, 2011. CITY-C Edition. Lexis-Nexis Academic. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "Stoeger Prize | The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center". www.chambermusicsociety.org. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- ^ "Aaron Jay Kernis". dworkincompany.com. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- ^ "Grammys classical winners: 'Steve Jobs,' Boston Symphony, Laurie Anderson with Kronos Quartet". Los Angeles Times. 10 February 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^ "Aaron Jay Kernis". dworkincompany.com. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
External links
- Schirmer Publishing biography of Kernis Archived 2014-11-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Complete Works List on G. Schirmer Archived 2018-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- Discography (incomplete) on G. Schirmer Archived 2018-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- Discography (complete) on Dworkin & Company (management site)
- Minnesota Orchestra artist page Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
Interviews with Kernis
- "Which of these Aaron Kernises am I?", a conversation with Frank J. Oteri, February 11, 2014
- Interview with Aaron Jay Kernis by Bruce Duffie, November 15, 2002
- Aaron Jay Kernis interview from American Mavericks site
- Colored Field Interview on YouTube
- Trio in Red Interview on YouTube