George Flynn Explained

George Flynn is a distinguished American composer and pianist. Born in Miles City, Montana on January 21, 1937,^[1] he grew up in Montana and Washington. He received his B.A. and Ph.D. from, and taught at Columbia University, New York City,^[2] and from 1977 to 2001 headed the Department of Composition at DePaul University in Chicago. His works cover a wide range of genres, from symphonies to electronic compositions. His 114-minute piano cycle Trinity was described in Tempo in 2005 as a ‘masterpiece’. It consists of three very large piano pieces, Kanal, Wound and Salvage, each performable on its own. The work has been recorded by the pianist Fredrik Ullén.

Selected compositions

Orchestral

• Mrs. Brown for chamber orchestra and tape (1965)
• First Symphony "Music For Orchestra" (1966)
• Tirades and Dreams for chamber orchestra, narrator and soprano (1972)
• Second Symphony (1981)
• Meditations, Praises for chamber orchestra (1981)
• Focus for chamber orchestra (1983)
• Coloration for chamber orchestra (1983)
• Quietude for small orchestra (1983)
• Lost and Found for youth orchestra (1984)
• A Reign of Love for narrator and orchestra (1992)
• Surfaces for chamber orchestra (1997)
• Winter Dusk for string orchestra (1999)
• Rita's Dance (2000)

Concertante

• The Density of Memory for clarinet trio and orchestra (1997)
• American City for piano and wind ensemble (1998)

Chamber music

• Piano Quartet (1963)
• Solos and Duos for violin and piano (1964)
• Four Pieces for violin and piano (1965)
• Duo for clarinet and piano (1966)
• Duo for trumpet and piano (1974)
• American Festivals and Dreams for string quartet (1976)
• Duo for cello and piano (1977)
• Duo for violin and piano (1979)
• Celebration for violin and piano (1980)
• Fantasy Etudes for violin solo (1981)
• Saxophone Quartet (1982)
• Woodwind Quintet (1983)
• American Rest for clarinet, viola, cello and piano (1982, 1984)
• Diversion for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (1984)
• American Summer for violin, cello and piano (1986)
• Turmoil and Lullabies for clarinet, viola, cello and piano (1986)
• Disquietude and Lullaby for clarinet, viola, cello and piano (1986)
• Diversions for Five Woodwinds (1988)
• Til Death for violin and piano (1988)
• Who Shall Inherit the Earth? for clarinet, viola and 2 pianos (1989)
• Forms of Flight for clarinet solo (1991)
• The Streets are Empty for saxophone quartet (1992)
• Duo for viola and piano (1974, 1985, 1995)
• Winter Landscape Duo for cello and piano (1998)
• Together for violin and piano (2003)
• American Enchantment for string quartet (2003)
• Seeking Serenity for violin and piano (2005)

Harpsichord

• Drive (1973)

Piano

• Fuguing (1962)
• Fantasy (1966)
• Music for Piano Four Hands (1966)
• Wound (1968)
• Kanal (1976)
• American Icon (1988)
• Pieces of Night (American Nocturnes) (1989)
• Toward the Light (1991)
• Salvage (1993)
• Preludes (1994)
• Derus Simples (1995)
• Glimpses of Our Inner Lives (2001)
• Remembering (2003)

Vocal

• Benedictus for mixed voices (1962)
• Christmas Fanfare for mixed chorus (1972)
• Lady of Silences for female chorus (1973)
• Ave Maria for mixed voices unaccompanied, or with piano (1973
• Ave Maria for female chorus (1973)
• Songs of Destruction for soprano and piano (1974)
• Dies Sanctificatus for soprano, alto and piano (1976)
• Dawn for mixed chorus (1977)
• Dusk for mixed chorus (1977)
• Kyrie for female chorus (1977)
• Agnus Dei for female chorus (1977)
• American Voices for mixed chorus, horn and piano (1983)

References

• Classical Connect biography
• "Classical Connect completes the George Flynn project"
• Chicago Sound review of American City
• Jazz Review review of American City

External links

• Official web site
• Interview with George Flynn, November 23, 1996

Notes and References

1. https://www.onthisday.com/date/1937/january/21 "What Happened on January 21, 1937"
2. Web site: 2016-06-23 . Blending Tradition & Innovation . 2022-05-03 . Columbia College Today . en.