John Rea (born 1944) is a Montreal-based

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

who won the

Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music The Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music is a Canadian contemporary classical music award given to composers in recognition of quality new works of chamber music. Granted annually since 1978 (with the exception of 1984 and 1990 when no prize was ...

in both 1981 and 1992. He obtained his bachelor's degree at Wayne State University (1967), his Master of Music degree at the University of Toronto (1969), and his PhD at Princeton University. His children's opera ''The Prisoners Play'' from 1972 uses serial techniques. His works have been played by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the

Quebec Symphony Orchestra Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, the

Arditti Quartet The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974 and led by the British violinist Irvine Arditti. The quartet is a globally recognized promoter of contemporary classical music and has a reputation for having a very wide repertoire. T ...

, the Esprit Orchestra and others. He is the previous dean and head of the composition department at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, from which he has taken his retirement. Among his notable students are composers

Robin Minard Robin Minard (born 1953) is a Canadian composer and installation artist. Minard was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He began his studies of composition at the University of Ontario, then at the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, ...

and John Oliver.

Music

Stage: The Days/Les Jours, ballet. 1969. Ms The Prisoners Play, opera (Paul Woodruff). 1973. Ms Com-possession 'Daemonic afterimages in the theatre of transitory states.' 1980. 2 chamber ensemble (tape). Ms. McGill University Records 83019 (Laucke) Une Fleur du mal. 1992. Sop, clarinet, violoncello and percussion Canto di Beatrice. 1992. For two sop and two violoncelli, melodrama Alma & Oskar (melodrama from beyond the grave). 1995. Voice and piano, National Competition for Young Performers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; version for two voices and orchestra, 1996 Urfaust—tragédie subjective (after Goethe and Pessoa). 1999. Incidental music, Théâtre UBU Sacrée Landowska. 2001. Music theatre Orchestra: Piece for Chamber Orchestra (1967, rev 1971). Ms Hommage à Vasarely. 1977. Ms. RCI 658/McGill University Records 81013 (McGill SO, Mayer conductor) Vanishing Points. 1983. Ms Litaneia (Aristophanes). 1984. Mixed chorus, orch. Ms Over Time. 1987. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-CD-3188 (Orch métropolitain) Time and Again. 1987. Ms Zefiro torna. 1994 Einer nach dem Andern!. 1994. Chamber orchestra Homme/Papillon. 2002 Chamber: Sonatina. 1965. Fl, piano. Ms Prologue, Scene and Movement (classical Latin palindrome). 1968. Sop, viola, 2 piano. Ms Sestina. 1968. Chamb ensemble. Ms Fantaisies and/et Allusions. 1969. Saxophone quartet, snare drum. Ms Anaphora. 1970. Chamb ensemble. Ms Reception and Offering Music 'Anaphora IV.' 1975. Ww quintet, percussion. Ms. Mel SMLP-4040 (York Winds) Jeux de Scène 'fantaisie-hommage à Richard Wagner.' 1976. Hn, oboe, violoncello, piccolo, fl, piano, mar, 3 glockenspiel, blacksmith's anvil. Ms Les Blues d'Orphée. 1981. Fl, clarinet, viola, violoncello, piano. Ms Le Dernière Sirène. 1981. Ondes M, piano, percussion. Ms Médiator '...pincer la musique aujourd'hui..'. 1981. Chamb ensemble. Ms. RCI 570 (Événements du neuf, Rea conductor) Treppenmusik. 1982. Saxophone quartet, 4 clarinet, violin, viola, violoncello, double-bass, tape. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-2085 (SMCQ) Glide Reflexions. 1984. 2 clarinet, 2 violoncello. Ms Les Raisons des Forces Mouvantes. 1984. Fl, alto fl, string quartet. Ms Spin. 1984. Str quartet, piano. Ms Some Time Later. 1986. RAAD string quartet. Ms Big Apple Jam. 1987-91. Saxophone quartet, tape. Ms Kubla Khan. 1989. Chamb ensemble. Ms. (1991). University of Montreal UNMUS-105 (CD) (Nouvel ensemble moderne) Objets Perdus. 1992. String quartet Piano: What You Will. 1969. 2 or 4 hands. Jay 1971 Anaphora II. 1971 (rev 1972). Ms Las Meninas. 1990-1. Ms Also Le Petit Livre des 'Ravalet' (1983) for early music instr, tape, and 4 narrator, and Offenes Lied (1986) for 2 soprano and clarinet, both manuscript; and 2 works for tape, S.P.I. 51 and STER 1.3 (both 1969), recorded on Marathon MS-2211

Music

See also

Notes

Further reading