Contact Melissa Maier |
A native of Western New York, where as a child she studied piano, violin, viola and organ, Melissa Maier received her BA from Trinity College, Hartford, studying theory and composition with Arnold Franchetti. Upon moving to Lugano, Switzerland in 1983, she became the pupil of Paul Glass. Her works have been performed in Europe, North America, and Asia. She is the recipient of various prizes and commissions, including one from the Elisarion Foundation in Switzerland to write a piece for solo trumpet, New Leaf. Other recent works include fugue states for string quartet, premiered in Seoul in 2003; against hope, a prelude and fugue for piano; Der Geist von Schlegel for piano trio, awarded in the chamber music category at the 2004 International Festival of Women Composers; and In forma pauperis for violoncello solo. Pretiolae per non dormire, for horn and string orchestra, was recorded and distributed in 1995 by the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana. The orchestral work (poetic) license was selected for a reading session by the Women’s Philharmonic. A resident of Connecticut since 1997, Ms. Maier is manager of external relations and publications at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.
She also served for six years on the Board of Directors of the International Alliance for Women in Music, and remains active in that organization. |
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LIST OF WORKS (all durations approximate): looking back (2003) for violin solo (6’ 48”) alleluia (2003) for SATB choir with soprano, alto, and baritone soloists jailbreak (2002) for flute & viola (6’ 32”) against hope (prelude and fugue) (2002) for piano (6’10”) fugue states (2001) for string quartet (15’30”), Sine Nomine I (1999) for violin & piano (3’) (poetic) license (1997) for orch. (2-2-2-2/2-2/timp/perc/str) (19’) New Leaf (1996) for trumpet solo (2’20”) L’esprit d’escalier (1995) for piano, four hands (2’45”) Der Geist von Schlegel (1995) for vln-vc-pf (6’) in forma pauperis (1995) for vc solo (4’) pretiolae per non dormire (1994) for horn and string orchestra (4’55”) Brass Quintet (1993) for brass quintet (5’) Aperitifs (1992) for string quartet (4’30”) A Child’s Prayer (1986) for choir s-s-a (a cappella) (1’20”) |
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Compositions | |||
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looking back (for violin solo) |
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| looking back (for violin solo).mp3 - complete | |||
| looking back (for violin solo).pdf - complete | |||
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looking back is a theme with variations interrupted by an intermezzo -- like life, or at least, like some lives. The theme consists of a series of gestures of two, three, four, five, six, and seven notes. The piece concludes with a restatement of the theme in retrograde, leaving open the possibility that what purported to be the theme initially was itself the retrograde, just a variation in the sequence leading up to what might be considered the "real" theme, which is revealed only at the end -- like life, or at least, like some lives, and nearly as perplexing. The work was premiered in Seattle by the violinist Karen Bentley Pollick. This recording is of a live performance she gave in California in June, 2004. | |||
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jailbreak (for flute and viola) |
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| jailbreak (for flute and viola).mp3 - complete | |||
| jailbreak (for flute and viola).pdf - complete | |||
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The prison referred to is one of my own devising: a strict rhythmic sequence that undergirds the first part of the piece, and certain restrictions as to the notes employed by each instrument. The unstructured last section serves as a meditation on the material of the first; a taste of sweet freedom from arbitrary restraint. | |||
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against hope (prelude and fugue for piano solo) |
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| against hope (prelude and fugue for piano solo).mp3 - complete | |||
| against hope (prelude and fugue for piano solo).pdf - complete | |||
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War may be waged in any theater; the bombs and minefields may explode across the globe, outside your door, or within your spirit. against hope reflects the increasing tumult of a troubled time, mitigated only by the uneasy truce of a perfect fifth, and the consolation of a familiar form. This is a recording of the premiere performance at the 2005 SCI Region VII conference in San Antonio on February 26 by pianist Sandra Ramawy, on the faculty of the University of Texas at San Antonio. | |||
©2005 by Melissa Maier
All Rights Reserved
Melissa Maier is a member of Society of Composers, Inc. SCI is dedicated to the promotion of composition, performance, understanding and dissemination of new and contemporary music.