Conni Ellisor

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Conni Ellisor (born September 25, 1953) is a contemporary American composer and violinist. She was trained at The Juilliard School and the University of Denver's University of Denver, Lamont School of Music, and rose to prominence as Composer-in-Residence of the Nashville Chamber Orchestra in the late 1990s. As a violinist, she has served as a member of the Denver Symphony, concertmaster of the Boulder Philharmonic, first violin in the Athena Quartet (now the Colorado Quartet), and is now a top-call studio musician and member of the Nashville String Machine.[1]

Orchestral repertoire

Ellisor’s contributions to the orchestral repertoire include such uniquely American works as Blackberry Winter for mountain dulcimer and strings,

London Philharmonic.[8]

Recent commissions

Recent commissions and premieres include “Diaspora” by the

Tucson Symphony (2012),[10] "Tres Danzas De Vida" by the Arlington (NY) High School Philharmonia Orchestra (2013), “Fort of Shadows” by the Arlington High School Sinfonia Orchestra (2014), and “The Bass Whisperer”, a concerto for electric bass written with and for 5x Grammy-winning bassist Victor Wooten and commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, the Colorado Symphony, and the Chicago Sinfonietta (2015/2016).[11] She has also written and recorded the score for the SONY/Affirm film All Saints (2017) with composer/multi-instrumentalist (and husband) John Mock, through their production company, Drowsy Maggie Productions.[12]
Conni Ellisor’s works are represented by LeDor Publishing.  

Selected works

  • Beloved Enemy - solo voice and strings (written with Gretchen Peters)
  • Blackberry Winter - solo dulcimer and strings
  • Broad Band of Light - solo dulcimer and orchestra
  • Concerto for Marimba, Percussion and Strings
  • Conversations In Silence - string orchestra
  • Diaspora - orchestra
  • No Place To Get To - strings, English horns, guitar (also available for string quartet, guitar, and English horn or clarinet)
  • Nuages de la Nuit - violin, bass, two guitars, and strings
  • Rhapsody for Viola - solo viola, strings, single winds, trumpet, percussion
  • Sea Without A Shore - marimba, five percussion, and orchestra
  • The Bass Whisperer - solo electric bass and orchestra (written with Victor L. Wooten)
  • The Bell Witch Ballet - orchestra
  • Tres Danzas De Vida - orchestra
  • Whiskey Before Breakfast - bluegrass band and chamber orchestra
  • Wind From The Mountain - brass ensemble and percussion

Educator

Ellisor has written multiple works for the Arlington (NY) High School Philharmonia Orchestra and recently completed a three-year residency with Stringendo, a nonprofit community strings program in upstate New York. The partnership has resulted in seven new works for varying levels of string orchestra.[13]

Educational compositions

  • Air For the Dutchess
  • Bell Witch Dance Suite
  • Fiddlers On The Hudson
  • Fort of Shadows
  • Poughkeepsie Blues
  • River That Runs Both Ways
  • Rousing Rip Van Winkle
  • Rowing Under A Hudson Moon

Contemporary jazz

Ellisor has also had a career as a contemporary jazz recording artist. Her “Night at the Museum” album, one of four solo albums she’s released, climbed to #13 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative chart.[14] Her studio albums and live performances have both garnered critical praise. “While the pieces all have a contemporary, accessible feel, the consistent classical nuances help maintain the warmth and humanity that make this such a special collection of music,” wrote a critic for the Exclusive Adult Music Review. Venerable Nashville music critic Robert Oermann encouraged readers to attend an upcoming concert, commenting that “Conni and her all-star group combine classical training with contemporary melodies. Her performances are soundtracks for mental movies that transport the listener to parts unknown.”

References

  1. ^ Nashville Studio Orchestra. "Conni Ellisor", Nashville Studio Orchestra, Retrieved on 22 April 2019.
  2. ^ NPR. "Conni Ellisor", NPR, Retrieved on 22 April 2019.
  3. ^ LeDor Publishing. "Whiskey Before Breakfast", Ledor Group, Retrieved on 22 April 2019.
  4. ^ NPR. "Conni Ellisor", NPR, Retrieved on 22 April 2019.
  5. ^ NPR Performance Today. "The Sounds of the Tennessee Music Box", NPR, 28 January 2005. Retrieved on 22 April 2019.
  6. ^ Discogs. "Nashville Chamber Orchestra", Discogs, Retrieved on 25 April 2019.
  7. ^ Marcel Smith. "The Nashville Chamber Orchestra is bridging the gap between Music Row and classical music", Nashville Scene, 29 August 2002. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  8. ^ Marcel Smith. "The Nashville Chamber Orchestra is bridging the gap between Music Row and classical music", Nashville Scene, 29 August 2002. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  9. ^ Nashville Symphony. "Conni Ellisor's Diaspora Premiere", Facebook, 7 April 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. Tucson.com
    , 2 February 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  11. ^ Brad Schmitt. "Victor Wooten, Nashville Symphony debut ‘Bass Whisperer’", The Tennessean, 17 September 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  12. Soundtrack.net
    , Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  13. ^ The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. "STRINGENDO ANNUAL GALA CONCERT", The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  14. ^ All Music. "Night At the Museum", Nashville Studio Orchestra, Retrieved on 22 April 2019.

External links

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