ELMA MILLER — composer CO-ORDINATES: E-mail: elmami@idirect.com Web: http://www.hwcn.org/~aa210/Profile.html http://www.musiccentre.ca/CMC/dac_rca/eng/k_/Miller_Elma.html http://goddard.edu/wgdr/kalvos/millere.html EDUCATION: M.Mus. composition/theory (University of Toronto), 1979 Mus.Bac. composition (University of Toronto), 1977 Studied with: Walter Buczynski, John Beckwith, John Weinzweig, Lothar Klein and Boguslaw Schaffer for composition; Elaine Keillor, piano and organ. Inspiration and lateral thinking from Marshall McLuhan, William Buxton and Geoffrey Payzant. INTRODUCTION: Miller is a freelance composer who varies her activities between composition and computer typography. As a composer her work encompases variety and complexity. Most recently said of her compositions: "the wit and humour of Jabberwocky"; the "intrigue and mystery of udok asem ets ... abstract psycho-drama" and the "reflectiveness and thoughtfulness of Voices in Stone". Village Voice (on line) in their Sound Bytes of Truth in the July 1999 edition, called her music "wild." She has written for orchestra, small ensembles, solo instruments, theatre and voice. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY: 2001 Windwalker (for solo Intermediate Clarinet). Commissioned through the Canadian Music Centre (CMC), by the Alliance of Canadian New Music Projects (ACNMP), with the financial assistance of the Canada Council's Millennium Fund and the Ontario 2000 Millennium Arts Fund. World Premiere in December at Carleton U, staged performance of udok asem ets for 3 mixed soloists. Filmed and broadcast for a future date. 2000 CD release of her Voices in Stone featuring the piano compositions of Canadian Women composers from 1841 - 1997. Performed by E. Keillor. Only Canadian composer on the World Festival "esto2000" Gala Concert programme with Kivihaldjate Hääled [Voices in Stone], at George Weston Hall, Ford Centre, Toronto. Composer-in-residence in September at Gibraltar Point Centre for the Arts, Toronto Island, sponsored by Artscape. Throughout the year La nuit s'ouvre for solo clarinet was given numerous school performances in the Golden Horseshoe area of Ontario by clarinettist Stephen Pierre; an estimated 60 performances. 1999 -98 Calgary, won the Trimark inaugural Canadian Women's Mentor award in Arts and Culture. Voices in Stone received several performances in Ottawa and Toronto. In March the performance of Seven Sisters Rising by the Composer's Orchestra cond. Gary Kulesha at the Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto. World Premiere of La nuit s'ouvre, (solo clarinet) by Stephen Pierre (Canada Council commission) at the Glenn Gould studio, Toronto, and broadcast by CBC on Music Around Us. Composer-in-residence on the Internet for the Kalvos and Damien music bazzar , USA. [see URL, above]. 1997-96 World Premiere of Seven Sisters Rising (orchestra), (Laidlaw Foundation commission), by the Windsor Symphony. udok asem ets performed by Espacemusique, at the National Gallery, Ottawa. New version of Circumstantial Evidence (Canada Council commission) with E. Miller providing a narration as part of Hamilton's Sesquicentennial celebration, performed by Symphony Hamilton (James McKay, conductor). 1995-94 World Premiere of Voices in Stone (solo piano), performed by Elaine Keillor during the "Sound Thinking" Philosophy/Music Symposium, Edward Johnson Building, U. of Toronto. Circumstantial Evidence appeared several times over two years on Windsor Symphony's concert series on Canadian music, conducted by Susan Haig. Can a Smart Cat Scare Nice Mice? (soprano, violin, cello, piano), written for and premiered at CMC's 35th Anniversary Concert and taped by the CBC for broadcast. 1993-92 Miller computer engraved the music, designed layout and typeset both music and text for the book: John Weinzweig, The Radical Romantic of Canada (1994) by Dr. E. Keillor. Published by Scarecrow Press in the series of North America's pioneer composers. Schroedinger's Cat was performed in Berlin at the Podewil music festival. 1991 Through a Narrow Window (piano solo), was performed at the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Canadian League of Composers in Winnipeg. World Premiere of Schroedinger's Cat (solo accordion) (commissioned through the Ontario Arts Council) at Toronto's Big Squeeze Accordion Festival by Tiina Kiik. 1990-89 Syneidesis IX (violin, piano) (private commission), performed at the Georg Ots Music Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. Broadcast on Estonian National radio and through the European Broadcast Union. udok asem ets (for three vocalists) received numerous performances in Montreal. Was toured in South America and India by gems in 1989 and has become a perennial favourite in Montreal. 1987-92 Founded Music Here and Now (a series devoted to 20th century chamber music concerts with an emphasis on Canadian composers) and was Artistic Director. Though she had been putting on concerts since 1984, this series became a highlight in Hamilton's music scene, attracting composers and performers from the Golden Horseshoe area, Quebec and the US. 1985-86 World Premiere of McClure (commissioned by Theatre Aquarius of Hamilton). A one-man show with music throughout, based on the Rev. Robert McClure (Moderator of the United Church of Canada) and his 30 years in China. Scored for one cello; Chris Sharp, cello. McClure toured 10 cities across Canada and was broadcast on CBC-TV. Written by Munroe Scott. Nâka, toured by by Two plus One (flute, cello and guitar) from Yellowknife, NWT, (Canada Council commission). Multiple performances throughout the northern native communities of Canada. This is the Dogrib story of the Northern Lights with narator reciting the story with musical accompaniment. 1986-80 Invited composer at York University, (England) by the Society for the Promotion of New Music. World Premiere of Circumstantial Evidence (Canada Council commission) by the Praire Arts Ensmble, Saskatoon. Radio producer of Music in the Shape of a Pear for CFMU-FM (featured contemporary music, live interviews). Music critic for the Silhouette and the Hamilton Spectator. Founder of ArtSound (music series combining Art and Music) in collaboration with the Hamilton Artists' Inc. AWARDS AND COMMISSIONS: Miller has received numerous awards for her compositions. Most recently her submission won for nominating E. Keillor for the Trimark inaugural Canadian Women's Mentor award in Arts and Culture. R. Murray Schafer Prize - Honourable Mention for Butterfly Garden from the Posnan (Poland) Music for Children Festival's in compositions for music and play Earlier in her career she received the Sir Ernest MacMillan Award for her orchestral composition: Genesis. Els Kaljot-Vaarman Prize (jointly with Arvo Pärt) for chamber music (Stockholm, Sweden). Sir William Erving Fairclough Scholarship in composition, (University of Toronto). Miller has received numerous commssions through the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Laidlaw Foundation, Theatre Aqauarius (Hamilton), Elaine Keillor, Estonian Arts Council, Stephen B. Roman Foundation, The Millennium 2000 Fund, Royal Canadian College of Organists and through private individuals and other organizations. Her compositions have been performed in Canada, England, the United States, South America, Germany, Estonia and India; broadcast on CBC (TV and radio), CJRT, CIUT, CFMU and through the European Broadcasting Union. MEMBERSHIPS, ARTICLES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES: Canadian Music Centre (CMC), Association of Canadian Women Composers (ACWC), Canadian League of Composers (CLC), SOCAN, Eesti Nais Üliõpilaste Selts (ENÜS), founding member of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology (WFAE). In 1995 she was a member of the International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) Canadian Jury. Miller has an entry in the 2nd Edition of the Encyclopædia of Music in Canada, the International Encyclopædia of Women Composers by Aaron Cohen, Music in Canada by Tim McGee and Women and Technology by Andra McCartney. She was a featured composer on the cover of The Canadian Composer (Oct. 1987). In year 2000 she wrote numerous articles on notation programmes and computer engraving. Employed as the main music engraver for the University of Miami. In 1999 the most notable was her edited and engraved parts for Harry Somers' last composition: Music of a Thousand Ages. As a copyist/typographer she has been included in programme notes and articles by the Delius Society of Philadelphia and in Paul Rapoport's book: K. S. Sorabji. In the Spring 1996 issue of American Music, her computer design and typography was reviewed and discussed by Marc-Andre Roberge. She has copied music in every era from the Medieval era to the present. Catalogue of Works CHAMBER ENSEMBLE, ORCHESTRA AND CONCERT BAND (LISTED ALPHABETICALLY) Circumstantial Evidence (1983, rev. '94) 1111/100/strings; 5 movements Dur: 18' Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra (1987) 2222/4210/timp/str /perc.solo Dur: 20' Genesis (1978 rev.79) 2110/0110/2 perc/timp/str Dur: 18' Margarita Anguisque (1979) 1111/1000/2perc/pno/vln/vla Dur: 8' Processional (1986) concert band Dur: 8' Seven Sisters Rising (1996) 1111/1110/1 perc/strings Dur: 5'26" ... to light one candle ... (1989) accordion solo/strings Dur: 11' The Witch of Agnesi (1981) 0020/1000/2 perc/vla/d bass Dur: 8' SMALL ENSEMBLE Aurora/Nâka (1986) fl/guitar/cello Dur: 12' Chick (1976) three percussion Dur: 7' Diversions 4 Clarinets (1985) clarinet quartet Dur: 12' Folk Songs of Canada (1984) (easy to intermediate) clarinet quartet Dur: 6' Kriss Kringle's Wolka Paltz (1977) fl/tromb/vla/perc Dur: 7' Le Phenix (1980) tromb/marimba Dur: 8' The Sleep of Reason (1979) clar/pno Dur: 9' Swordplay (1983) clar/hrn Dur: 9' Syneidesis IX (1988) vln/pno Dur: 7' Things are not what they appear (1982) horn quartet Dur: 9' SOLO VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS Andalusian Racewalk (1995) midi keyboard Dur: 12' Cadenza for solo cello (1982) Dur: 6' Kalur (1980) clarinet Dur: 8' Syneidesis IV in memoriam Margaret Laurence (1987) electric bassoon Dur: 10'29" La nuit s'ouvre (1997) clarinet Dur: 7' McClure (1986) solo cello Dur: 32' Schroedinger's Cat (1991, rev. 1992) solo accordion Dur: 12' Windwalker (2001) solo Intermediate clarinet Dur: 4' PIANO Minnemata (1977) solo piano Dur: 7'48" Syneidesis XII in memoriam Robert Langstadt (1988) piano four hands Dur: ca.12' Through a Narrow Window (1985) solo piano Dur: 13'30" Voices in Stone (Kivihaldjate Hääled) (1995, rev. 1998) solo piano Dur: 9'34" VOCAL WORKS Audience Piece (1980) 4 or more performers, cond., audience Dur: ca. 10' or more Can a Smart Cat Scare Nice Mice? (1994) soprano/vln/cello/pno Dur: 3'21" Cantata: The Transfiguration (1989) Children's choir/SATB adult choir/clar/organ Dur: 14' Jabberwocky (1980) voice/pno Dur: 9' Jõululaul (A Christmas Carol) (1984) SATB choir and organ Dur: 6' udok asem ets (1988) three voices Dur: 8' ELECTROACOUSTIC akg bx 10 #3 (1977) tape Dur: 6' Joust (1978) cumputer file Dur: 10' Naer (1978) tape Dur: 7' Pink Champagne (1976) tape Dur: 4'