
David Liptak
David Liptak – professional biography David Liptak was born in 1949 in Pittsburgh. His music has been described as “luminous and arresting,” “richly atmospheric,” and having “transparent textures, incisive rhythms, shimmering lightness.” His compositions have been performed by the San Francisco Symphony, the Montreal Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Youngstown Symphony, the Sinfonia da Camera of Illinois, the New England Philharmonic, the National Orchestral Association, the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Group for Contemporary Music, EARPLAY, the Ying and Cassatt String Quartets, the Dinosaur Annex Ensemble, the New York New Music Ensemble, the 20th-Century Consort, and by many other soloists and ensembles. Among his music found on recordings is Rhapsodies, commissioned for the Syracuse Society for New Music by the Meet the Composer/Readers Digest Consortium Commissioning Program, on the Innova CD American Masters of the 21st Century. Other recordings include two from Albany Records featuring music written for violinist Catherine Tait, and, with musicians from the Eastman School of Music in collaboration with those from the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, his chamber piece Giovine vagha, i' non sent i. His music is also found recorded on Bridge Records, including a recording of his Forlane by guitarist David Starobin. A second Bridge recording from 2005 is entirely Liptak's music, and includes recordings of his Ancient Songs , with baritone William Sharp and the Dinosaur Annex Ensemble, Serenade , with saxophone soloist Chen-Kwan Lin and a string ensemble conducted by Brad Lubman, and Broken Cries , with the Tarab Cello Ensemble. Ice Flowers , for violin and koto, appears on a Centaur recording featuring the duo “vio-LINK-oto.” In 1994, he received a commission from the Fromm Music Foundation for a trumpet concerto for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, which was premiered in 1996 with soloist Paul Merkelo. His works include Concerto for Viola and Percussion for violist John Graham; Quintet for Piano and String Quartet , which was premiered by the Finger Lakes Chamber Ensemble in Ithaca in 2006; Cold Litanies , a trio for flute, cello, and piano that was written for and premiered by Trio Xia; Sonata for Cello and Piano , written for cellist Steven Doane; and his String Quartet No. 2 , written for the Cassatt Quartet and premiered by the ensemble in Philadelphia in 2003. His Folgore's Months , a setting of 14th-century sonnets by the Italian poet Folgore da San Gimignano for soprano and wind ensemble, was premiered in 2009 by Mark Scatterday and the Eastman Wind Ensemble with soprano Tony Arnold. Among is latest works are Dove Songs , premiered by Tony Arnold and pianist Alison d’Amato in the fall of 2014, and his String Quartet No. 3, premiered by the JACK Quartet in January, 2015. In 1995 David Liptak was awarded the Elise L. Stoeger Prize, given by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in recognition of distinguished achievement in the field of chamber music composition. His composition prizes include the 1986 Georges Enesco International Composition Competition and the 1978 Minnesota Orchestra 75th Anniversary Composers Competition; and he was a finalist in the 1982 St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Composition Competition, the 1989 Sudler International Competition for Wind Ensemble Composition, and the 2008 Sackler Composition Competition. Other distinctions include awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, both in 2002; he has also received the 2006 Lillian Fairchild Award. His music is published by Keiser Classical, Alfred Music – Donald Hunsberger Wind Ensemble Library, the American Composers Alliance, and others. A dedicated teacher of composition students for the past three decades, David Liptak is Professor of Composition at the Eastman School of Music, where he has taught since 1986. Much of his
Titles:
- 2018 X520016 – Serenade for Viola and Piano
 - 1998 R01172 – The Moon Singer: Chamber Opera in One Act
 - 1982 R00490 – Soundings
 - 1988 R00486 – Resoundings
 - 1993 X815005 – Under the Resurrection Palm for Voice and Violin
 - 1980 X511021 – Time – Piece
 - 1992 R00482 – Ancient Songs for Baritone Voice and Mixed Septet
 - 1999 X628503 – Melissa’s Quilt for Viola and Marimba
 - 1997 R00996 – Northern Light
 - 1986 X511012 – Arcs
 - 1996 R00483 – Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra
 - 2000 R01170 – Rush
 - 1998 X560014 – Forlane
 - 2000 X520007 – The Play of Winds
 - 1988 R00488 – Saxophone Concerto: Red Shift
 - 1997 X816209 – Songs for Persephone for Soprano, Flute and Guitar
 - 1992 X652710 – Rhapsodies
 - 2019 X121012 – Moon Song Variations
 - 1986 X660302 – Giovine Vagha, I’ Non Senti (original version for flute, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, piano)
 - 1999 X511025 – Sonata for Violin and Organ
 - 1998 R01171 – Chasm
 - 2000 X503022 – Poppies for Violin, Viola and Cello
 - 1991 X628502 – Shadower for Violin and Percussion
 - 1991 X503012 – Trio
 - 2003 X511036 – Music for Young Players
 - 2000 X540008 – The Trees Have Spirits
 - 1995/2024 X221014 – Concerto for Trumpet and Piano
 - 1988 R00485 – Loner
 - 2000 X504038 – Chaconne
 - 2001 R01203 – Serenade for Alto Saxophone and Strings
 - 2005 X946701 – Away for Chorus, Flute, Clarinet, Percuson and String Quartet
 - 2000 X510027 – Starpoints
 - 1979 X102001 – Duo for Flute and Clarinet
 - 2005 X944004 – Away (piano reduction)
 - 1988/93 R00489 – Saxophone Concerto: Red Shift (orchestra version)
 - 1984 X814020 – Seven Songs
 - 2001 X151021 – Serenade for Alto Saxophone and Piano
 - 2018 R01589 – Serenade for Viola and Strings
 - 1996 X521009 – Duo for Viola and Piano
 - 1996 X510028 – Spirit
 - 2000 X530020 – A Bridge Across Spaces
 - 1999 X301006 – Quicksilver Pieces
 - 1989 X131009 – Illusions
 - 2003 X906301 – Music for Children’s Chorus
 - 1996 X662805 – Giovine Vagha, I’ Non Senti (adaptation for flute, clarinet, marimba, violin, cello, piano)
 - 1998 X642708 – Janus Variations for Clarinet and Piano Trio