9/17/2015

DavidLangLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

Search
RepertoireSearch
Home

Composers

News

Genre

Listen

Rental

License

OnDemand

Film&TV /

Calendar

Buy

Pops

Composers
David Lang
> ShortBio
> LongBio
> News
> Works
> Performances
> Discography
> Photos
> Listen

David Lang
Born: 1957
Nationality: American
Publisher: G. Schirmer
Photo Peter Serling
Passionate,prolific,andcomplicated,composerDavidLangembodiestherestlessspirit
ofinvention.Langisatthesametimedeeplyversedintheclassicaltraditionand
committedtomusicthatresistscategorization,constantlycreatingnewforms.
InthewordsofTheNewYorker,"WithhiswinningofthePulitzerPrizeforthelittlematch
girlpassion(oneofthemostoriginalandmovingscoresofrecentyears),Lang,oncea
postminimalistenfantterrible,hassolidifiedhisstandingasanAmericanmaster."
MusicalAmericas2013ComposeroftheYearandrecipientofCarnegieHallsDebs
ComposersChairfor20132014,LangisoneofAmericasmostperformedcomposers.
Manyofhisworksresembleeachotheronlyinthefierceintelligenceandclarityofvision
thatinformtheirstructures.Hiscatalogueisextensive,andhisopera,orchestra,chamber
andsoloworksarebyturnsominous,ethereal,urgent,hypnotic,unsettlingandvery
emotionallydirect.Muchofhisworkseekstoexpandthedefinitionofvirtuosityinmusic
eventhedeceptivelysimplepiecescanbefiendishlydifficulttoplayandrequireincredible
concentrationbymusiciansandaudiencesalike.
thelittlematchgirlpassion,commissionedbyCarnegieHallforPaulHilliersvocal
ensembleTheaterofVoices,wasawardedthe2008PulitzerPrizeformusic.Ofthepiece,
PulitzerjurorandWashingtonPostcolumnistTimPagesaid,"IdontthinkIveeverbeen
somovedbyanew,andlargelyunheralded,compositionasIwasbyDavidLangsthelittlematchgirlpassion,whichis
unlikeanymusicIknow."
Hisrecentworksincludedeathspeaks,asongcyclebasedonSchubert,butperformedbyrockmusicians,includingBryce
DessnerfromTheNationalandSharaWordenfromMyBrightestDiamondmanmade,aconcertoforthequartetSo
PercussionandtheBBCorchestrathewhisperopera,fortheInternationalContemporaryEnsembleandsopranoTony
Arnoldlovefail,aneveninglengthworkfortheearlymusicvocalensembleAnonymous4,withlibrettoandstagingbyLang
reasontobelieve,forTrioMediaevalandtheNorwegianRadioOrchestraconcerto(worldtocome)forcellistMayaBeiser
andtheNorrlandsOperansSymhoniorkesterwritingonwaterfortheLondonSinfonietta,withlibrettoandvisualsbyEnglish
filmmakerPeterGreenawayandthedifficultyofcrossingafield,afullystagedoperawiththeKronosQuartet.
"Thereisnonameyetforthiskindofmusic,"wroteLosAngelesTimesmusiccriticMarkSwedofLangswork,butitstimehas
arrivedandhisworksarebeingheardaroundtheglobeinperformancesbytheBBCSymphony,theInternational
ContemporaryEnsemble,eighthblackbird,SantaFeOpera,theNewYorkPhilharmonic,theNetherlandsChamberChoir,the
BostonSymphony,theMunichChamberOrchestra,andtheKronosQuartetatTanglewood,theBBCProms,MusicNOW
festival,TheMunichBiennale,theSettembreMusicaFestival,theSydney2000OlympicArtsFestivalandtheAlmeida,
Holland,Berlin,AdelaideandStrasbourgFestivalsintheaterproductionsinNewYork,SanFranciscoandLondonalongside
thechoreographyofBenjaminMillepied,TwylaTharp,LaLaLaHumanSteps,TheNetherlandsDanceTheater,Susan
MarshallandtheParisOperaBalletandatLincolnCenter,theSouthbankCentre,CarnegieHall,theKennedyCenter,the
BarbicanCentre,andtheBrooklynAcademyofMusic.
Langistherecipientofnumeroushonorsandawards,includingthePulitzerPrize,MusicalAmericasComposeroftheYear,
CarnegieHallsDebsComposersChair,theRomePrize,theBMWMusicTheaterPrize(Munich),andgrantsfromthe
GuggenheimFoundation,theFoundationforContemporaryPerformanceArts,theNationalEndowmentfortheArts,theNew
YorkFoundationfortheArts,andtheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters.In1999,hereceivedaBessieAwardforhis
musicinchoreographerSusanMarshallsTheMostDangerousRoomintheHouse,performedlivebytheBangonaCanAll
StarsattheNextWaveFestivaloftheBrooklynAcademyofMusic.TheCarbonCopyBuildingwonthe2000VillageVoice
OBIEAwardforBestNewAmericanWork.TherecordingofthepassingmeasuresonCantaloupeRecordswasnamedone
ofthebestCDsof2001byTheNewYorker.HisCD"Pierced"onNaxoswaspraisedbothontherockmusicsitePitchforkand
intheclassicalmagazineGramophone,andwascalledhis"mostexcitingnewworkinyears"bytheSanFranciscoChronicle.
TherecordingofthelittlematchgirlpassionreleasedonHarmoniaMundi,receivedthe2010GrammyAwardforBestSmall
EnsemblePerformance.
LangiscofounderandcoartisticdirectorofNewYorkslegendarymusiccollectiveBangonaCan.Hisworkhasbeen
recordedontheSonyClassical,HarmoniaMundi,Teldec,BMG,Point,Chandos,Argo/Decca,andCantaloupelabels,among
others.
HismusicispublishedbyRedPoppyMusic(ASCAP)andisdistributedworldwidebyG.Schirmer,Inc.
December2013
Forspecificinquiriesaboutthiscomposer,pleasecontactMarcos.Cuevas@schirmer.comorcall2122542100.

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/longbio/DavidLang

1/2

9/17/2015

DavidLangLongBiographyMusicSalesClassical

Clickheretoreceiveregularnews

AboutUs / FAQ / PrivacyPolicy / ContactUs

Copyright2014MusicSalesClassical.PartoftheMusicSalesGroup.

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/longbio/DavidLang

2/2