Dr Arlene Sierra
Overview
Position:
Senior Lecturer
Email:
SierraAE@cardiff.ac.ukTelephone: +44(0)29 208 74382
Fax: +44(0)29 208 74379
Extension: 74382
Location: Main Music Building, Corbett Road, Room 1.02
Arlene Sierra is acclaimed for vivid, darkly energetic compositions that take their impetus from rich sources including military strategy, Darwinian evolution, and game theory. Described by Time Out New York as "spry, savage, sly and seductive" and by The Guardian (UK) as "rewardingly knotty… the most distinctive and expressive of the evening," her works have been heard worldwide in performances by the Tokyo Philharmonic, the London Sinfonietta, New York City Opera VOX, ICE, Psappha, the Albany Symphony, Lontano, Collage New Music, the Schubert Ensemble and many others. Recent commissions include a piano concerto Art of War for the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, a Cheltenham Festival commission Insects in Amber for the Carducci Quartet, and a New York Philharmonic commission for chamber orchestra, Game of Attrition.
Sierra gained international recognition with her first score for large orchestra, Aquilo, which was awarded the Takemitsu Prize at the behest of Oliver Knussen. She has been the subject of a Composer Portrait series concert at the Miller Theatre, New York (2009), Spotlight on: Arlene Sierra, an hour-long show and podcast on New York Public Radio (2006/7), and a Showcase concert at the Crush Room, Royal Opera House, London (2007). Awards include a Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a Tanglewood Paul Jacobs Award commission, and numerous fellowships including Aspen, Aldeburgh Britten-Pears, Dartington, and the MacDowell Colony.
Her debut CD with Bridge Records, Arlene Sierra Vol. 1, is the first of a new series focused on Sierra's work, produced with major funding from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Ditson Fund at Columbia University, and the Classical Recording Foundation. Early critical notice from Musical Pointers for the May 2011 release describes "…music of distinct originality and personality, played and recorded to highest standards. The ensemble music is complex but always clear, and one feels that every note is placed with intention. A strong recommendation."
Sierra's opera Faustine is in development with support from Aldeburgh Young Artist Residencies, ROH2 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the American Music Center CAP program. It was showcased by New York City Opera at VOX 2011 and acclaimed by Musical America as "the most musically adventurous, tightly constructed and dramatically sound of the works-in-progress on offer. Sierra’s musical language encompasses both acerbic dissonance where the plot requires it and, elsewhere, supple melodies of considerable sweep. …the Vox reading suggested that Arlene Sierra and librettist Lucy Thurber are well on the way toward crafting a memorable new opera."
A graduate of Oberlin (B.A., B.Mus.), Yale (M.Mus.) and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (D.Mus.), Arlene Sierra’s principal teachers were Martin Bresnick, Michael Daugherty and Jacob Druckman. As a fellow at Tanglewood, Aldeburgh, and Dartington she worked with Louis Andriessen, Magnus Lindberg, Colin Matthews, and Judith Weir.
Dr. Sierra is Senior Lecturer and Programme Director in Composition at Cardiff University School of Music. She teaches Final Year Undergraduate, M.Mus and PhD Composition, Masters-level Orchestration, and directs the School’s extensive programme of new music performances, composition workshops and seminars.
For further details of compositions and performances, please visit www.arlenesierra.com.
Publications
Selected Compositions
**World Premiere
Faustine (Scenes 1 to 4) for five voices and orchestra (23') (2011); **New York City Opera VOX, Skirball Auditorium, NY, 14 May 2011
Insects in Amber for string quartet (15') (2011); **Carducci Quartet, Stanford Lively Arts Series, CA, 3 April 2011
Cricket-Viol for viola and voice (4') (2010); **Wendy Richman, Bushwick Starr, Brooklyn, NY, 24 January 2011
Art of War concerto for piano and orchestra (21') (2010); **BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Huw Watkins (piano), Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor, Vale of Glamorgan Festival, BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, 9 September, 2010
Game of Attrition for chamber orchestra (13') (2009); **New York Philharmonic, conducted by Magnus Lindberg, Symphony Space, NYC, 17 December 2009; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, 19 December 2009
Colmena for fourteen players (8') (2008); **International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Jayce Ogren, Miller Theatre, New York NY, 13 March 2009
Hearing Things for soprano and piano (8') (2008); **Claire Booth and Andrew Matthews-Owen, Louise Blouin Institute, London, 4 June 2009
Le Chai au Quai for bass clarinet and cello (3') (2008); **London Contemporary Music Group, Oxford, 5 November 2008
Surrounded Ground (14') (2008); **Chroma Ensemble, Park Lane Chapel, Norwich, 8 June 2008
Streets and Rivers for baritone and piano (14') (2007); **Jeremy Huw Williams and Nigel Foster, ROH, Covent Garden, 3 December 2007; Cardiff University, 22 April 2008; Bristol University, 23 April 2008
Birds and Insects, Book 1 for piano solo (15') (2007): Scarab, **Thorsten Kuhn, New York, 23 November 2003; Cicada Sketch, **Thorsten Kuhn, Vienna, 17 September 2004; Titmouse, **Clive Williamson, Guildford International Festival, 15 March 2005; Cornish Bantam, **Daniel Becker, Cardiff, 29 November 2005
Cicada Shell for chamber ensemble (16') (2006); **The New Music Players, BMIC Cutting Edge Series, London, 2 November 2006
The Art of Lightness for solo flute (8') (2006); **Rowland Sutherland, flute, Lontano Festival of American Music, The Warehouse, London, 6 October, 2010
A Conflict of Opposites for clarinet and piano (11') (2004); **Robert Bailis and Daniel Becker, Cambridge, 15 May 2005; version for violin and piano: **Alexandra Wood, Huw Watkins, Cardiff University, 4 December 2007
Two Neruda Odes for soprano, cello and piano (11') (2004); **Marie Vassiliou, Zoe Martlew and Huw Watkins, Cambridge, 13 June 2004
Truel for piano trio (21') (2004); **Anita Cheng Dance, Danspace New York, 4 March 2004
Trombone Concerto for symphonic winds (14') (1994, rev. 2003); **RNCM Symphonic Winds, conducted by James Gourlay, Manchester, 26 March 2004
Hand mit Ringen for soprano and trio (violin, cimbalom, piano) (7') (2002); **Sarah Leonard (soprano), Psappha, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, 24 November 2002
Neruda Settings for soprano and chamber ensemble (22') (2002-5); **first version by Rochelle Bard (soprano), TMC Fellows Ensemble, conducted by Stefan Asbury, Tanglewood, 24 July 2002
Tiffany Windows for twelve players (14') (2002); **Albany SO, conducted by David Miller, Troy NY, 9 March 2002
Alike Dissolving for SATB, children's choir and string orchestra (14') (2001); **Aeolian Singers, Longdean Choir, Hertfordshire Classical Orchestra, conducted by Stephen Jones, St Albans, 10 November 2001
Four Choreographic Studies for ten players (12') (2001); **TMC Fellows Ensemble & Dancers, Tanglewood, 27 July 2001
Aquilo for orchestra (11') (2001); **Tokyo PO, conducted by Susanna Mälkki, Tokyo, 27 May 2001
Ballistae for thirteen players (10') (2001); **London Sinfonietta, conducted by Pierre-André Valade, London, 21 April 2001
Mantegna Diptych for orchestra (10') (2000); **Plymouth Orchestra, conducted by Philip Brunelle, Minneapolis, 14 May 2000
of Risk and Memory (1997) for two pianos; **Karl Lutchmayer and David Alexander, The Warehouse, London, 5 March 2006
Research
Arlene Sierra is currently working on an opera Faustine in development with ROH2, Covent Garden and New York City Opera VOX, as well as new pieces for Lontano (London) and pianist Kathleen Supove (New York).
Public Lectures and Performances
** World Premiere
* UK Premiere
Meditation on Violence; ** New work for ensemble to accompany the Maya Deren film, 2 November 2012. Commissioned by Lontano, with funding from the PRS 'Women Make Music' programme.
Colmena; Oberlin Contemporary Ensemble, Warner Concert Hall, Oberlin, 13 April 2012
Truel (Complete); World Premiere of Clarinet Version, New Music Players, Cardiff University Concert Hall, 6 March 2012
'Texts and Personas' public lecture, Victoria Rooms, Bristol University, 31 January 2012
Insects in Amber; *Carducci Quartet, Cheltenham International Music Festival, 8 July 2011
Truel I; Peabody Trio, Yellow Barn Music Festival, Vermont, 21 July 2011
Faustine (Scenes 1 to 4) for five voices and orchestra (23') (2011); **New York City Opera VOX, Skirball Auditorium, NY, 14 May 2011
Insects in Amber; **Carducci Quartet, Stanford Lively Arts Series, CA, 3 April 2011
Cricket-Viol; Wendy Richman, viola and voice, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin, OH, 15 March 2011
Truel I; Fidelio Trio, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne, 27 February 2011
Cricket-Viol; **Wendy Richman, viola and voice, Bushwick Starr, Brooklyn, NY, 24 January 2011
The Art of Lightness (Continental Premiere); Eric Lamb, flute, Spiegelsaal in Clärchens Ballhaus, Berlin, Germany, 16 January 2011
of Risk and Memory; Shirley Yoo and Stephen Buck, pianos, Mercyhurst College, Erie, PA, 21 October, 2010
Counting-Out Rhyme; Lontano Festival of American Music, Odaline de la Martinez, artistic director, The Warehouse, London, 5 October, 2010
The Art of Lightness; **Lontano Festival of American Music, Odaline de la Martinez, artistic director, The Warehouse, London, 6 October, 2010
Piano Concerto Art of War; **BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Huw Watkins (piano), Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor, Vale of Glamorgan Festival, BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, 9 September, 2010
Two Neruda Odes; Susan Narucki (soprano), Kacy Clopton, cello, Michael Bukhman, piano, Yellow Barn Music School and Festival, Putney, VT, 17 July 2010
Hearing Things; Frauke Aulbert (soprano), Thorsten Kuhn (piano), U.S. Consulate General, Hamburg, Germany, 2 June 2010
Counting-Out Rhyme; Lontano, Odaline de la Martinez, artistic director, University Concert Hall, Cardiff, 9 March 2010
Cicada Shell; College New Music, conducted by David Hoose, Longy School of Music, Boston MA, 8 February 2010
Game of Attrition (NYPO commission); **New York Philharmonic, conducted by Magnus Lindberg, Symphony Space, NYC, 17 December 2009; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, 19 December 2009
Hearing Things; Clair booth (soprano), Andrew Matthews-Owen (piano), University of Hull, 27 November 2009; Cardiff University, 1 December 2009; Town Hall, Cheltenham, 7 December 2009
Truel (complete; London premiere); Fidelio Trio, National Portrait Gallery, London, 4 September 2009
Tiffany Windows; Great Noise Ensemble, Armando Bayolo, cond, Catholic University Ward Hall, Washington DC, 27 March 2009
Colmena; **International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Jayce Ogren, Miller Theatre, New York NY, 13 March 2009
Ballistae; U.S. premiere, International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Jayce Ogren, Miller Theatre, New York NY, 13 March 2009
Surrounded Ground; U.S. premiere, International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Jayce Ogren, Miller Theatre, New York NY, 13 March 2009
Neruda Settings (expanded version); **International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Jayce Ogren, Miller Theatre, New York NY, 13 March 2009
Cicada Shell; U.S. premiere, International Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by Jayce Ogren, Miller Theatre, New York NY, 13 March 2009
Hearing Things; **Claire Booth (soprano) and Andrew Matthews-Owen (piano), Cheltenham Town Hall, 11 March 2009; Louise Blouin Institute, London, 4 June 2009
Surrounded Ground; Chroma, University Concert Hall, Cardiff, 10 February 2009
'Notes from Across the Pond', King's College, London, 5 February 2009
Le Chai au Quai; **London Contemporary Music Group, Oxford, 5 November 2008
Surrounded Ground (complete); **Chroma Ensemble, Park Lane Chapel, Norwich, 8 June 2008
Cicada Shell for chamber ensemble; The New Music Players, BBC Radio 3 'Hear and Now. BMIC Cutting Edge', 3 May 2008
Streets and Rivers; **Jeremy Huw Williams and Nigel Foster, ROH, Covent Garden, 3 December 2007; Cardiff University, 22 April 2008; Bristol University, 23 April 2008
Aquilo; European premiere, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Jac van Steen, St David's Hall, Cardiff, 24 January 2008
'The American Music Festival: Spotlight on Arlene Sierra', WNYC, New York, as for 16 December 2006, 31 May 2007
'The Composer Next Door: British Isles', KCSC, Oklahoma, broadcast of Truel I, 20 May 2007
of Risk and Memory for two pianos; Daniel Becker and Huw Watkins, BBC Radio 3 'Hear and Now. Dutch Connections 1', 19 May 2007
'Spotlight' interview on WNYC, New York, including broadcasts of Aquilo, Neruda Settings, Truel I and Cicada Shell in performances from Tokyo, Tanglewood, New York and London, 16 December 2006
Current PhD Candidates:
Steven Berryman, Daniel Bickerton, John Cooney, Max Charles Davies, Matthew Hall, Gareth Hughes, Christian Morris.
Successful PhD Candidates:
Mauricio Beltran Miranda, Jack White