Bernard Rands (born 2 March 1934 in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, England) is a British and American contemporary classical composer. He studied music and English literature at the University of Wales, Bangor, and composition with

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

and

Bruno Maderna Bruno Maderna (born Bruno Grossato, 21 April 1920 – 13 November 1973) was an Italian composer, conductor and academic teacher. Life Maderna was born Bruno Grossato in Venice but later decided to take the name of his mother, Caterina Carolina M ...

Darmstadt Darmstadt () is a city in the States of Germany, state of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Area, Rhine-Main-Area (Frankfurt Metropolitan Region). Darmstadt has around 160,000 inhabitants, making it the ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, and with Luigi Dallapiccola and

Luciano Berio Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental music, experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia (Berio), Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled ''Seque ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. He held residencies at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

, the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

, and the

University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...

before emigrating to the United States in 1975; he became a U.S. citizen in 1983. In 1984, Rands's '' Canti del Sole'', premiered by Paul Sperry,

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

, and the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

, won the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He has since taught at the

University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications material, formerly and colloquially UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California, United States. Es ...

, the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, and

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

. From 1988 to 2005 he taught at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, where he is Walter Bigelow Rosen Professor of Music Emeritus. Rands has received many awards for his work, and was elected and inducted into

The American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqua ...

in 2004. From 1989 to 1995 he was composer-in-residence with the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription concerts, n ...

. Rands's music is widely recorded. The recording of his ''Canti D'Amor'' by the men's vocal ensemble Chanticleer won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

in 2000. Rands is married to American composer Augusta Read Thomas.

Works

Opera

*''Belladonna'' (1999) *:opera in two acts, with a libretto by Leslie Dunton Downer, commissioned by the Aspen Festival. Première: 1999, Aspen Music Festival,

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

*''Vincent'' (''c.''1973-2010) *:opera based on the life of

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

, with libretto by J. D. McClatchy, commissioned by

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

. Première performances: 8–9, 15–16 April 2011,

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

Orchestral

*''Per esempio'' (1968) *:commissioned by the West Riding Youth Orchestra,

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

*''Wildtrack 1'' (1969) *:commissioned by the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...

for the 1969 York Festival, premièred under

(dedicated to Gilbert Amy) *''Agenda'' (1970) *:commissioned by the Department of Education and Science for the London Schools Symphony Orchestra *''Metalepsis 2'' (1971), for mezzo-soprano, small choir & chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the

London Sinfonietta The London Sinfonietta is an English contemporary chamber music, chamber orchestra founded in 1968 and based in London. The ensemble has headquarters at Kings Place and is Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre. Since its inaugural concert ...

, who gave the première in 1972 with soprano

Cathy Berberian Catherine Anahid Berberian (July 4, 1925 – March 6, 1983) was an American mezzo-soprano and composer based in Italy. She worked closely with many contemporary avant-garde music composers, including Luciano Berio, Bruno Maderna, John Cage, Hen ...

, conducted by

at the English Bach Festival *''Mésalliance'' (1972), for piano solo & orchestra *:commissioned by the

, premièred by pianist Roger Woodward under

*''Wildtrack 2'' (1973), for soprano solo & orchestra *:commissioned by the

, and premièred at the 1973 Cheltenham Festival under John Pritchard. *''Aum'' (1974), for harp solo & chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the

for

's series of contemporary concerts at Roundhouse,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

*''Madrigali'' (1977), for chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the National Symphony Chamber Orchestra,

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and premièred at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

. The work has most recently been performed by the Jungen Philharmonie Zentralschweiz and the University of Nottingham Philharmonia. *''Canti Lunatici'' (1981), for soprano solo & orchestra *:commissioned by the

for soprano Dorothy Dorow, premièred under Rands in 1981 *'' Canti del Sole'' (1983), for tenor solo & orchestra *:full version commissioned by the

, and premièred under

and tenor Paul Sperry in 1983. The work won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Music. *''Le Tambourin: Suites 1 & 2'' (1984) *:the two suites were commissioned respectively by the Fromm Foundation for the San Diego Symphony and the Koussevitzky Foundation for the

, who premièred the complete work under

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He is current music director of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the ...

in 1984. The work was awarded first place in the 1986 Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards. The work has since been performed widely by many orchestras, including (most recently) the

Buffalo Philharmonic The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Falletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it ...

. *''Ceremonial 2'' (1986) *:15-minute work commissioned by Suntory Hall,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

; premièred there in 1989 *''Fanfare for a Festival'' (1986) *:commissioned by the Colorado Music Festival,

Boulder In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive. In ...

, for the 10th anniversary festival *''Hiraeth'' (1987), for cello solo & orchestra *:commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival, premièred by cellist Yehuda Hanani with the

Aspen Festival Orchestra Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * '' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * '' Populus ...

conducted by Rands. Subsequent performances took place with Hanani the BBC National Orchestra of Wales soon after. *''...body and shadow...'' (1988) *:commissioned by the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five (orchestras), Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in ...

, and premièred under Seiji Ozawa at Symphony Hall in 1989. Emily Freeman Brown and the Bowling Green Philharmonia have since taken the work into their repertoire. *''London Serenade'' (1988) *:written as a gift for conductor Edwin London, who premièred the work with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Recent performances have been given by the Verge Ensemble and the

. *''Bells'' (1989), for S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:commissioned by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic *''Ceremonial 3'' (1991) *:commissioned by the

, premièred under

. Subsequent performances have taken place by the Bristol University Symphony Orchestra *''Canti dell'Eclisse'' (1992), for bass solo & orchestra *:commissioned by the

, premièred under

Gerard Schwarz Gerard Schwarz (born August 19, 1947), also known as Gerry Schwarz or Jerry Schwarz, is an American symphony conductor and trumpeter. As of 2019, Schwarz serves as the Artistic and Music Director of Palm Beach Symphony and the Director of Orc ...

with bass Thomas Paul. The work has since been championed by Gil Rose and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. *''Ceremonial'' (1992–93), for wind band *:commissioned by the University of Michigan Symphony Band,

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

. A widely performed work, ''Ceremonial'' has most recently been performed by the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the

concert band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind instrument, woodwind, brass ...

s of the

Oberlin Conservatory The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory of Oberlin College, a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in ...

, Boston Conservatory,

Columbus State University Columbus State University is a public university in Columbus, Georgia, United States. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. History ...

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from ...

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

and

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

, among numerous others. *''Tre Canzoni senza Parole'' (1993) *:commissioned by the

, premièred under Rands in 1992. The

Oregon Symphony The Oregon Symphony is an American symphony orchestra based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded as the "Portland Symphony Society" in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States. It ...

has since championed this work. *''...where the murmurs die...'' (1993) *:commissioned by the

, premièred under

Leonard Slatkin Leonard Edward Slatkin (born September 1, 1944) is an American conductor, author and composer. Early life and education Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a Jewish musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His fat ...

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designed by Max Abramovitz, was o ...

in December 1993 *''Canzoni'' (1995) *:commissioned by the

, premièred under

Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. A further performance was given by the same forces at the 1995

BBC Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

in the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

*''Interludium'' (1995), for S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:commissioned as part of the Requiem of Reconciliation, premièred in 1995 by the Israel Philharmonic under Helmuth Rilling *Symphony (1995) *:commissioned by the

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LA Phil) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. The orchestra holds a regular concert season from October until June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and a summer season at the Hollywood Bowl from ...

, premièred under

Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish conducting, conductor and composer. He is the music director of the San Francisco Symphony and conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Sw ...

in 1995 *Cello Concerto (1996) *:commissioned by the

for

Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enl ...

, premièred under Seiji Ozawa in 1997. Recent performances have taken place at

Symphony Center Symphony Center is a music complex located at 220 South Michigan Avenue in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO); Chicago Symphony Chorus; Civic Orchestra of Chicago; and the Institute for Learning, ...

with the Chicago Symphony under

, with cellist Johannes Moser. *''Fanfare'' (1996) *:commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony *''Requiescant'' (1996), for soprano solo, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:30-minute work, originally commissioned by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

for the 1985 Proms Season, but wasn't completed in time. It was recommissioned in 1995 for the Philadelphia Choral Society *Triple Concerto (1997), for piano, cello & percussion soli & orchestra *:commissioned by the Core Ensemble and the Cleveland Chamber Symphony with funds provided by the Meet the Composer Consortium Program, premièred by those forces conducted by Edwin London *''apókryphos'' (2002), for soprano solo, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:major 40-minute work setting texts by Paul Celan,

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; ; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was an outstanding poet, writer, and literary criticism, literary critic of 19th-century German Romanticism. He is best known outside Germany for his ...

Nelly Sachs Nelly Sachs (; 10 December 1891 – 12 May 1970) was a German–Swedish poet and playwright. Her experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazism, Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokesperson for the grief and yearn ...

Franz Werfel Franz Viktor Werfel (; 10 September 1890 – 26 August 1945) was an Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet whose career spanned World War I, the Interwar period, and World War II. He is primarily known as the author of '' The Forty ...

and English translations of extracts from the

Apocrypha Apocrypha () are biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of scripture, some of which might be of doubtful authorship or authenticity. In Christianity, the word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to ...

. Commissioned by the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

and

Chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

, and premièred at

in May 2003 with soprano

Angela Denoke Angela Denoke (born 27 November 1961) is a German opera singer (soprano). Born in Stade, she studied at the University of Music and Drama of Hamburg. Her first contract was at the Theater Ulm (1992–1996), where she sang Fiordiligi (''Così ...

under

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Moses Barenboim (; born 15 November 1942) is an Argentines, Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin, who also has Spain, Spanish and State of Palestine, Palestinian citizenship. From 1992 until January 2023, Bare ...

(choral director: Duain Wolfe). Further performances have taken place in

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

in 2010, at the

Berlin Philharmonie The () is a concert hall in Berlin, Germany, and home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The Philharmonie lies on the south edge of the city's Tiergarten and just west of the former Berlin Wall. The Philharmonie is on Herbert-von-Karajan- ...

and the Konzerthaus, Großer Saal by the Staatskapelle Berlin and Staatsopernchor Berlin, again with

conducting. *''Unending Lightning'' (2002), for wind band *:commissioned by the

Eastman School of Music The Eastman School of Music is the music school of the University of Rochester, a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1921 by celebrated industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman, it was the ...

*''Chains Like the Sea'' (2008) *:commissioned by the

, premièred under

Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (; March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in t ...

in October 2008 *''Danza Petrificada'' (2009–10) *:commissioned by the Chicago Symphony and premièred under

, May 5–7 & 10, 2011. *''Adieu'' (2010), for brass quintet & string orchestra *:commissioned by the Seattle Symphony, due to première the work under

at Benaroya Hall,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington on 7 December 2010.

Chamber

*''Actions for Six'' (1962), for flute, viola, cello, harp & two percussion *:written for the 1963 Darmstadt Festival; premièred by the Kranichsteiner Ensemble under

*''Espressione IV.'' (1964), for two pianos *:premièred at the 1965 Darmstadt Festival by

Aloys and Alfons Kontarsky Aloys (14 May 1931 – 22 August 2017) and Alfons (9 October 1932 – 5 May 2010) Kontarsky were German Duet, duo-pianist brothers who were associated with a number of important world premieres of contemporary works. They had an international rep ...

*''Ballad 1'' (1970), for mezzo-soprano solo, flute, trombone, piano, percussion & contrabass *:written for SONOR Ensemble, a group formed by Rands. Text by Gilbert Sorrentino. *''Tableau'' (1970), for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, viola & cello *''as all get out'' (1972), for miscellaneous instrumental ensemble *:notated as a

graphic score Graphic notation (or graphic score) is the representation of music through the use of visual symbols outside the realm of traditional music notation. Graphic notation became popular in the 1950s, and can be used either in combination with or instea ...

; the duration of the work can be anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes *''déjà'' (1972), for flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, viola & cello *''Response - Memo 1B'' (1973), for contrabass & tape / two contrabassi *''Cuaderno'' (1974), for string quartet *''étendre'' (1974), for solo contrabass, flute, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, piano, electric organ, percussion, violin, viola & cello *:15-minute work, based on Rands' ''Memo 1'' (for solo double bass, from 1971), and was written for bassist Bertram Turetzky and commissioned by the Claremont Festival,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. *''Scherzi'' (1974), for clarinet, piano, violin & cello *:commissioned by the Capricorn Ensemble with funds provided by the

Arts Council of Great Britain The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. It was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England (now Arts Council England), the Scottish Arts Council (l ...

*''Obbligato - Memo 2C'' (1980), for trombone & string quartet *''...in the receding mist...'' (1988), for flute, harp, violin, viola & cello *:commissioned by the

for the ONDINE Ensemble, and is dedicated to Jacob Druckman on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday. Premièred in Washington D.C. in November 1988. Recent performances have been given by the Boston Musica Viva under Richard Pittman, the North/South Consonance Ensemble under Max Lifchitz, the Verge Ensemble ( Buffalo,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

), the Dal Niente New Music Group (

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

), and ensembles at the Indiana University School of Music and the

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

. *''...and the rain...'' (1992), for horn, harp, violin, viola & cello *String Quartet No. 2 (1994) *:commissioned by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society for the Mendelssohn Quartet (who, in 2003, recorded the work on

BIS Records BIS Records is a record label founded in 1973 by Robert von Bahr. It is located in Åkersberga, Sweden. BIS focuses on classical music, both contemporary and early, especially works that are not already well represented by existing recording ...

). The work has since been taken up by the Fifth House Ensemble,

. *''...sans voix parmi les voix...'' (1995), for flute, harp & viola *:commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association in honour of the 70th birthday of

*Concertino (1996), for oboe solo, flute, clarinet, harp, two violins, viola & cello *:commissioned by Network for New Music with generous support from Anni Baker; premièred in 1998 conducted by Jan Krzywicki. Recent performances have taken place with the Dal Niente New Music Group (

), the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign New Music Ensemble, ensembles from the

University of Nevada The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada, United States. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded ...

, the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

(who recorded the work on Capstone Records in 2006) and

, and at the June in Buffalo Festival (

). *Fanfare (1997), for brass quintet *:commissioned by the Atlantic Brass Quintet *String Quartet No. 3 (2003) *:commissioned by the

(financial support from the Howard Hanson Foundation) for the

Ying Quartet The Ying Quartet is an American string quartet. The Ying siblings, from Winnetka, Illinois,Allan KozinnMusic in Review ''New York Times'' May 21, 1991R. M. Campbell," ''Seattle PI,'' Nov 10 2008 formed the quartet in 1988 while studying at the U ...

. Premièred by that ensemble in January 2004 at

Symphony Space Symphony Space, founded by Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller, is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theat ...

*''Prelude'' (2004), for flute, viola & harp *:commissioned for the 2004 June in Buffalo Festival *''...now again...'' (2006), for mezzo-soprano solo, flute, clarinet, trumpet, percussion, harp, violin, viola & cello *:commissioned by Network for New Music, and premièred by that ensemble in November 2006 with mezzos-soprano Janice Felty *''PRISM (Memo 6B)'' (2008), for saxophone quartet *:10-minute work commissioned by the New York State Arts Council for the Prism Quartet. Premièred: 21 November 2008 in

, by the same artists. *''Scherzi No. 2'' (2008), for clarinet, piano, violin & cello *:18-minute work

Vocal

*''Ballad 1'' (1970), for mezzo-soprano solo & ensemble *:written for SONOR ensemble, a group formed by Rands. Text by Gilbert Sorrentino. *''Ballad 2'' (1970), for female voice & piano *:commissioned by

Jane Manning Jane Marian Manning OBE (20 September 193831 March 2021) was an English concert and opera soprano, writer on music, and visiting professor at Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Royal College of Music. A specialist in contemporary classi ...

*''Metalepsis 2'' (1971), for mezzo-soprano solo, small choir & chamber orchestra *:commissioned by the

, who gave the première in 1972 with soprano

, conducted by

at the English Bach Festival *''Ballad 3'' (1973), for soprano & tape (plus bell) *''Wildtrack 2'' (1973), for soprano solo & orchestra *''Canti Lunatici'' (1980), for soprano & ensemble/orchestra *''déjà 2'' (1980), for female voice solo & ensemble *'' Canti del Sole'' (1984), for tenor solo & ensemble/orchestra *''Canti dell'Eclisse'' (1992), for bass solo & ensemble/orchestra *''Walcott Songs'' (2004), for mezzo-soprano & cello *: song-cycle to texts by Derek Walcott, commissioned by the Tanglewood Summer Music Festival; premièred in the Seiji Ozawa Hall in January 2005 by Abigail Fischer (mezzo-soprano) and Norman Fischer (cello) *''...now again...'' (2006), for mezzo-soprano & ensemble *:commissioned by Network for New Music, and premièred by that ensemble in November 2006 with mezzos-soprano Janice Felty

Choral

*''...among the voices...'' (1988), for S.A.T.B. choir & harp *:commissioned by Robert Page, who led the première in

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

in April 1988 with Paula Page (harp) and the Page Singers. Text by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

. *''Bells'' (1989), for S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:commissioned by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic *''Canti d'Amor'' (1991), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *:commissioned by Chanticleer, premièred in 2000 in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

by that group. Sets texts from

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...

's ''

Chamber Music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

''. *''Introit'' (1992), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *:brief 2-minute work, commissioned by the Howard University Chapel. Text by

George Herbert George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) was an English poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England. His poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognised as "one of the foremost British devotio ...

. *''Interludium'' (1995), for S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:commissioned as part of the Requiem of Reconciliation, premièred in 1995 by the Israel Philharmonic under Helmuth Rilling *''Requiescant'' (1996), for soprano solo, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:30-minute work, originally commissioned by the

for the 1985 Proms Season but not completed in time. It was recommissioned in 1995 for the Philadelphia Choral Society *''Melancholy Madrigal'' (2001), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *:commissioned by the Cambridge Madrigal Singers,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, premièred in 2001 in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

by that group. *''apókryphos'' (2002), for soprano solo, S.A.T.B. choir & orchestra *:major 40-minute work setting texts by Paul Celan,

and English translations of extracts from the

. Commissioned by the

and

, and premièred at

in May 2003 with soprano

under

(choral director: Duain Wolfe). Further performances have taken place in

and

in 2010, at the

and the Konzerthaus, Großer Saal by the Staatskapelle Berlin and Staatsopernchor Berlin, again with

conducting. *''My Child'' (2003), for a cappella S.A.T.B. choir *:a movement from ''apókryphos'' *''Trinity'' (2008), for a cappella male-voice choir *:commissioned by the Cornell University Glee Club, and premièred under Scott Tucker in September 2008 in Ithaca,

*''Folk Songs'' (2014), an arrangement of songs of personal meaning, including " On Ilkley Moor Baht 'at" and "Mi Hamaca". Premiered under Karina Canellakis at the 2014 Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music.

Solo instrumental

*''Tre Espressione'' (1960), for piano *''Formants 1 - Les Gestes'' (1965), for harp *''Memo 1'' (1971), for contrabass *:commissioned by

Barry Guy Barry John Guy (born 22 April 1947, in London, England) is an English composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of or ...

; premièred at the English Bach Festival,

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

in 1972 *''Memo 2'' (1973), for trombone *''Memo 3'' (1989), for cello *''Memo 4'' (1997), for flute *:commissioned by Ekkehart Trenknner for Judith Pierce, who gave the work's première in 1997 *''Memo 5'' (1975), for piano *''Memo 6'' (1999), for alto saxophone *''Memo 7'' (2000), for female voice *''Memo 8'' (2000), for oboe *''HBDZ'' (2001), for piano *''Preludes'' (2007), for piano *''Three Piano Pieces'' (2010)

Music theatre

*''Ballad 2'' (1970), for female voice & piano *:commissioned by

*''Ballad 3'' (1973), for soprano & tape (plus bell) *''Memo 2B'' (1980), for trombone and female mime *''Memo 2D'' (1980), for trombone, string quartet and female mime

Educational

*''Sound Patterns 1'' (1967), for voices & hands *''Sound Patterns 2'' (1967), for voices, percussion and miscellaneous instruments *''Per Esempio'' (1969), for youth orchestra *''Sound Patterns 3'' (1969), for voices (project) *''Sound Patterns 4'' (1969), for miscellaneous instrumental groups (graphic score) *''Agenda'' (1970), for youth orchestra

Awards

In 2014 Rands was inducted to

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to recognizing contributions made by living Illinoisans. Named for Abraham Lincoln, the Academy administers the Order of Lincoln, the highest award given b ...

as a Laureate of the Arts and was awarded the Order of Lincoln (the state's highest honor) by the governor of Illinois.

References

* Kennedy, Michael and Kennedy, Joyce Bourne (eds.) (2006) "Rands, Bernard" ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'' (2nd rev.) Oxford University Press, Oxford,

External links

* * from Art of the States site
Interview with Bernard Rands
December 3, 1993

Listening

* two works by the composer {{DEFAULTSORT:Rands, Bernard 1934 births Living people 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English composers 21st-century classical composers 21st-century English composers Academics of the University of York Alumni of Bangor University American male classical composers Boston University faculty English emigrants to the United States English male classical composers Harvard University faculty Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Musicians from Sheffield Princeton University faculty Pulitzer Prize for Music winners Pupils of Luciano Berio Pupils of Luigi Dallapiccola University of California, San Diego faculty 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians