Mark Carlson (born June 13, 1952) is an American composer, flutist,

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

professor, and the founder and artistic director of the chamber music ensemble Pacific Serenades.

Biography

Born in

Fort Lewis, Washington Fort Lewis is a United States Army base located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Fort Lewis was merged with McChord Air Force Base on February 1, 2010, to form Joint Base Lewis–McChord. Fort Lewis, named after Meriwether Lewis of the ...

, and raised primarily in

Modesto, California Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the List of cities and towns in Ca ...

, Carlson attended Johnston College at the

University of Redlands The University of Redlands is a private university in Redlands, California, United States. The university's main, residential campus is situated on 160 acres (65 ha) near downtown Redlands. An additional eight regional locations throughout Calif ...

; received a B.A. from

California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California, United States. It is part of the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers 60 ba ...

, in 1974, where he studied composition with Dennis Riley and David Bates; and received M.A. (1978) and Ph.D. (1984) degrees in Music Theory and Composition at

, where he studied with Alden Ashforth and Paul Reale. His principal flute teacher was Roger S. Stevens, with whom he studied privately beginning in 1972. In 1982, he founded the Los Angeles-based chamber ensemble, Pacific Serenades, for which he continues to serve as artistic director. His more than 100 works include songs, chamber music, choral music, concertos, and music for orchestra and for symphonic wind ensemble. Carlson is a 2013 recipient of a letter of distinction from

New Music USA New Music USA is a new music organization formed by the merging of the American Music Center with Meet The Composer on November 8, 2011. The new organization retains the granting programs of the two former organizations as well as two media progra ...

for his "significant contribution to the field of contemporary American music" in founding and serving as artistic director of Pacific Serenades. Carlson has taught music theory, composition, orchestration, and classes at the

UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, is “the first school of music to be established in the University of California system.” Established in 2007 under the purview of the U ...

since 1985, and also taught music theory and composition at

Santa Monica College Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. The coll ...

from 1993 to 2008. He retired from UCLA in July 2018 and is living in Palm Springs, California. Carlson is currently composing ''The Scarlet Letter'', an opera in-progress, with librettist Bruce Oldstad.

Selected works

Concertos

* Concerto for organ and orchestra (1997) * Concerto for piano and wind ensemble (1994) * Concerto for trumpet, piano, and orchestra (2004)

Chamber music

* ''Abschied'' for cello and piano (1993) * ''An American Quintet'', string quintet for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello (1997) * ''Batik'' for violin and piano (2010) * ''The Darkest Day'' for euphonium and organ (2007) * ''Dream Fantasies'' for flute, oboe, viola, and piano (1999) * ''A Family Portrait in Five Scenes'' for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano (2005) * ''5 Little Pieces'' for flute and piano (1976) * ''The Hall of Mirrors'' for clarinet and piano (1990) * ''Intermezzo'' for alto saxophone and piano (2003) * ''The Mysterious Divertimento of Dr. T'' for flute and harpsichord (1980) * ''Night Music'' for flute (alto flute), and horn quartet (2008) * ''Nightwings'' for wind quintet and tape (1978) * Piano Quartet for violin, viola, cello, and piano (1992) * Piano Trio for violin, cello, and piano (2001) * ''Postcards from Silver Lake'' for clarinet, alto saxophone, and piano (2010) * ''Prayer for Peace'' for 8 horns (2008) * Quartet for flute, clarinet (bass clarinet), cello, and piano (1994) * ''Short Stories'' for string quartet (2005) * ''6 Bagatelles'' for flute and string quartet (1995) * Sonata for cello and piano (1998) * ''On the Coming of War'', Sonata for viola and piano (2003) * ''Starry Night'' for string quartet (1989) * ''Sueños y canciones (Dreams and Songs)'' for flute and piccolo, clarinet and bass clarinet, violin, cello, and double bass (2001) * ''3 Romances'' for flute and piano (1986) * ''View from a Hilltop'' for clarinet (bass clarinet), violin, cello, and piano (2009)

Vocal

* ''After the Sun Has Set'' for mezzo-soprano and 11 instruments (1986); words by

Edna St. Vincent Millay Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was an American lyric poetry, lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted Feminism, feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. ...

* ''Cuatro sonetos de amor'' for soprano and piano (1998); words by

Pablo Neruda Pablo Neruda ( ; ; born Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto; 12 July 190423 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Neruda became known as a poet when he was 13 years old an ...

* ''Entre la sombra y la alma (Between the shadow and the soul)'' for soprano, horn, and piano (2008); words by Pablo Neruda * ''From One Who Stays'' for mezzo-soprano, flute, cello, and piano (1992); various poets * ''From the Song of Songs'' for soprano and piano (1988); translation by

Marcia Falk Marcia Falk is a poet, liturgist, painter, and translator who has written several books of poetry and prayer. Early years She was born in New York City and grew up in a Conservative Jewish home in New Hyde Park, Long Island. Her mother Frieda G ...

* ''From the Song of Songs: Part II'' for mezzo-soprano and piano (1992); translation by Marcia Falk * ''Night Will Blossom'' for medium-low voice, flute, and piano (1994); various poets * ''Patchen Songs'' for baritone and piano (1976); words by

Kenneth Patchen Kenneth Patchen (December 13, 1911January 8, 1972) was an American poet and novelist. He experimented with different forms of writing and incorporated painting, drawing, and jazz music into his works, which have been compared with those of Will ...

* ''Songs of Rumi'' for bass-baritone, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano (2007); words by

Rumi Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (), or simply Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century poet, Hanafi '' faqih'' (jurist), Maturidi theologian (''mutakallim''), and Sufi mystic born during the Khwarazmian Empire ...

* ''This Is the Garden'' for baritone and piano (1987); words by

E. E. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings (October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), commonly known as e e cummings or E. E. Cummings, was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. During World War I, he worked as an ambulance driver and was ...

* ''Two Songs'' for mezzo-soprano, tenor saxophone, viola, cello, and piano (2005); words by

Alfred, Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of ...

, and

Elizabeth Bishop Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an American poet and short-story writer. She was Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1949 to 1950, the Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry in 1956, the National Book Awar ...

Choral

* ''The Ballad of Charlie Howard (A Kenduskeag Trilogy)'' for

TTBB In choral musical notation, TTBB denotes a four-part lower-voice choir. Composed of tenors and basses, Its configuration is Tenor 1, Tenor 2 (or lead), Bass 1 (or Baritone), and Bass 2. Typically (but not always) one of the Tenor parts is the me ...

and piano (2001); words by Bruce Olstad, Brian Quint, and the composer * ''Come, O Holy Spirit, Come'' for

SATB In music, SATB is a scoring of compositions for choirs or consorts of instruments consisting of four voice types: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Choral music Four-part harmony using soprano, alto, tenor and bass is a common scoring in classic ...

, flute, and organ (2002) * ''Common Link'' and ''The Enemy of Truth'' for TTBB, violin, and piano (2002); texts by

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

* ''From Children's Voices'' for SATB and piano (1993); ''Miracles: Poems by Children of the English-Speaking World'', collected by Richard Lewis * ''Let All Things Now Living'' for SATB and organ (1993); Katherine K. Davis, poet * ''Mass: Christ in Majesty'' for chorus, orchestra, and organ (1987) * ''Welcome Winter!'' for TTBB and piano (2002); words by Bruce Olstad * ''A Wreath of Anthems (An American Christmas Cantata)'' for SATB and orchestra (1990); various American poets

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Carlson, Mark 1952 births 20th-century American classical composers 21st-century American classical composers American male classical composers Living people UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music faculty 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians