LIONEL SAINSBURY began to play the piano at an early age and soon started to compose his own music. Born in Wiltshire, England, in 1958, he studied composition with Patric Standford at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. At the age of 21 he was awarded a Mendelssohn Scholarship, which brought him into contact with composers as diverse as Edmund Rubbra, John McCabe and Henri Dutilleux.

 

Sainsbury’s music has since been performed worldwide, and broadcast by BBC Radio 3, Radio France, NHK TV/Radio in Japan, and many channels in the US. Amongst artists who have performed his work are the violinists Tasmin Little, Vit Muzik and Rupert Marshall-Luck, pianists Mark Bebbington, Clara Rodriguez and Jack Gibbons, clarinetist Anna Hashimoto and guitarist Craig Ogden.

 

In 2002 his Violin Concerto was premiered at the Worcester (UK) Three Choirs Festival, with soloist Lorraine McAslan and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Adrian Lucas. Lorraine McAslan subsequently recorded the concerto with the BBC Concert Orchestra under Barry Wordsworth (Dutton CDLX 7245).

 

The premiere recording of Sainsbury’s Cello Concerto followed in 2012 (Dutton CDLX 7284), performed by Raphael Wallfisch, with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates.

 

Also available, on Navona Records, are two albums of Lionel Sainsbury’s piano music, Sunlight & Storms (NV5951) and Andalusian Fantasy (NV5999), performed by the composer.

 

For further information please visit www.lionelsainsbury.com

 

 

CLIVE MUNCASTER

Clive’s claim to fame came about a year after the death in 1965 of Sir Winston Churchill. The following year, he established the Churchill Memorial Concerts at Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxon, and conducted the first six concerts, which continue to include celebrated speakers. At about the same time, Clive became interested in Music Therapy. He then founded the Music Therapy Charity, an organization which still exists in England. A Southern BBCTV documentary was shown illustrating his pioneering activities.

 

In 1970, an unexpected invitation to study Music Therapy at Florida State University, USA, resulted in his becoming a registered Music Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Composition, (MM). This in turn led to a permanent move to the USA as a University Music Therapy Director. Years later, when living in Missouri, he gained his Doctor of Musical Arts {DMA) in Music Composition (1974) from the Conservatory of Music, UMKC in Kansas City. Among his activities in Kansas City, he wrote incidental music for the Missouri Repertory Theater, and became an announcer for the Classical Music Radio Station (KXTR).

 

After graduating, he became the Music Therapy Director at the College of Saint Teresa, Winona, Minnesota. There, he presented a full length concert of original compositions, and his Chamber Opera, “THE CUNNING MAN.” He played first violin in the Winona State University Orchestra, and was also on the Board.

 

Whilst in Winona, he had his own radio show, “Sounds Healthy” on the Winona State University radio station. Winona was a rather remote place to be, so he chose to move to Washington DC. Whilst there, he directed a Church Choir in Arlington, played the piano for a ballet class in Montgomery, and played first violin in the Alexandra Symphony Orchestra. Most importantly, he wrote the film music for a Smithsonian Documentary, which was shown nationally.

 

His next move was to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he became Music Director at the Virginia School of The Arts. This position was followed by an invitation to conduct the Liberty University Symphony Orchestra, and direct their string program for Music Education Majors. He joined the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra as a first violinist, and was a member of the Board.

 

Whilst in Lynchburg he developed his own one-man band playing the violin to his own recorded accompaniments. He toured the Eastern Seaboard performing in institutions

including: Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes. Clive then moved to Princeton, New Jersey, in order to set up home with his second wife. From there he continued touring the Eastern Seaboard with his violin. In 2001, he won the “Welcome Christmas” prize in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a carol written for choir and strings. The recording was heard internationally. For Eleven years he conducted the local SightReading Orchestra resulting in a large conducting repertoire of Classical Music. He is now writing a book for the benefit of Music Therapists and Activity Directors. Additionally, he is concentrating on composition, and is hoping to complete some unfinished operatic works.

 

 

 

Patricia Julien writes extensively for theatrical productions, including composing the score for O, Caligula! A Mvsical. In the last ten years, she has composed the music for productions of India Song, Ostentatious Poverty, Eurydice, The Clean House, Peter Pan, The Arabian Nights, The Witches, Anna’s Journal, Winnie The Pooh, Marat/Sade, and Coracles, Castanets, Cadaques. She recently wrote the score for the award-winning 2017 short film Anonymous. In addition to dramatic genres, Patricia composes works for mixed-voice choral ensembles, solo voice and piano, orchestra, contemporary chamber ensembles, small jazz combos, and big band. She also writes acoustic and electronic music for dance.

 

Patricia performs widely as a jazz flutist. She has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and The Kennedy Center. Concert tours with Persian singer Dariush included the eastern United States, Canada, and Europe. While living in New York City, she performed frequently at Birdland, The Knitting Factory, The New Music Café, CBGB’s, and The 55 Bar, and has worked with such artists as Ari Hoenig, Ron Elliston, Atilla Engin, and Kenny Wessel. She has recorded four CDs as leader: Glee (2006), Still Light At Night (2012), and Swimming in the Sun (2015) by the jazz quartet Patricia Julien Project, and Frame Problem (2010) with her fusion group Fragile Zoe.

 

She graduated with honors from Ithaca College, earned the Master of Music in Jazz and Commercial Studies from Manhattan School of Music, and holds the Ph.D. in Music

Theory from the University of Maryland, College Park. A Professor of Music at the University of Vermont, Patricia teaches courses in music theory and jazz composition and arranging. Before arriving at UVM, she served on the music faculties of Skidmore College and George Washington University.

 

www.patriciajulien.com

 

 

 

J.A. Kawarsky

Dr. J.A. Kawarsky (b. 1959) is Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ.  Dr. Kawarsky received his B.M. in composition from Iowa State University and his M.M. and D.M.A. from Northwestern University.  At Northwestern he studied with John Paynter, Alan Stout and Frederick Ockwell.  In 1982, Dr. Kawarsky conducted the Opera Company of the Negev Region in Be’er Sheva, Israel.  Before coming to Westminster in 1989, he taught at Fort Hays State University, the University of Wisconsin, and Moraine Valley Community College.

 

A well-known coach and director/conductor in the theater world, Dr. Kawarsky conducted the 2007 national tour of Peter Pan and prepared the music for the 2nd national tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He has been a music director at Stagedoor Manor, French Woods, Harand Camp for the Arts, Long Lake Camp of the Arts in New York, as well as for the Franklin Theatre Works of Clinton, NJ.

 

He was the founding conductor of the New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus (Delaware Valley Men’s Chorus), and has also served as conductor of the Lehigh Valley Gay Men’s Chorus, Voices Chorale and was chosen to conduct Sing for the Cure for the Komen Foundation National Conference in 2002, and transcribe a new/reduced orchestration of the work.

 

As a composer, he has written for all genres including solo instrument, orchestra, band, choral, vocal and theater. Recently, he received his 13th Composer Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). His 40 minute composition Prayers for Bobby for choir, orchestra, narrator and soloists, has received numerous performances throughout the United States and Canada and was recorded by the New Jersey Gay Men’s Chorus and members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC. Dr. Kawarsky has been commissioned by numerous ensembles for original works and arrangements. In October of 2006, he was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus award from Iowa State University and was presented with a premiere of a new work for wind ensemble and alto saxophone solo, Fastidious Notes.  In 2009, 17 universities throughout the United States commissioned him to compose a new symphonic band work. The resulting composition, Red Training Reels, was premiered in the September 2010. From 2010-2014, Dr. Kawarsky collaborated with lyricist/librettist Francine M. Gordon on the cantata Sacred Rights, Sacred Song, for choir, narrator and chorus and has been performed throughout the USA and Israel.  He is currently composing The Five Step Program for the Encore Vocal Arts of Indianapolis. Recently the Moravian Philharmonic recorded his symphonic work And We All Waited….  His composition for piano and orchestra Episodes was recorded by Parma with Peter Laul, piano and the The St. Petersburg State Philharmonic conducted by Vladimir Lande.  Most recently, Parma recorded his work Grace Dances for string Quartet and Oboe in Havana, Cuba, and his Fastidious Notes for saxophone and oboe recorded in Chicago.  He is currently arranging a new accompaniment to the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes to be recorded in Spring 2018 by the University of Arizona and members of the Tucson Symphony.  His music is published by Yelton Rhodes Music, Transcontinental Music, Southern Music, and Phoenix Music.

 

Photo: Jules Gregory

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