Mary Jane Leach (born 1949) is an American composer based in New York City. She has been a member of the Downtown Ensemble, composer in residence at Sankt Peter,

Köln Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, and has recordings on XI,

New World Records New World Records is a record label that was established in 1975 through a Rockefeller Foundation grant to celebrate America's bicentennial (1976) by producing a 100-LP anthology, with American music from many genres.Lovely Music Lovely Music (full name: Lovely Music Ltd.) is an American record label devoted to new American music. Based in New York City, the label was founded in 1978 by Mimi Johnson, an outgrowth of her nonprofit production company Performing Artservices In ...

.Leach, Mary Jane
"Celestial Fires"
Liner notes. New World Records. In the late 1970s Leach composed mainly with tape,

overdubbing Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio Music track, tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto o ...

her own playing and singing. As her music became more frequently performed she continued writing in an "overdubbing" fashion, layering parts and experimenting with the textures created by multiple voices.Brandt, Anthony K
"Ariadne's Lament"
Liner notes. New World Records. Her compositional style is characterized by modality, imitation, and prolongation. Leach received a 1995

Foundation for Contemporary Arts The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA), is a nonprofit based foundation in New York City that offers financial support and recognition to contemporary performing and visual artists through awards for artistic innovation and potential. It was ...

Grants to Artists Award. She currently teaches music courses at

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (; RPI) is a private university, private research university in Troy, New York, United States. It is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world and the Western Hemisphere. It was establishe ...

. Leach is also the primary archivist and bibliographer of composer

Julius Eastman Julius Eastman (October 27, 1940 – May 28, 1990) was an American composer. He was among the first composers to combine the processes of some minimalist music with other methods of extending and modifying his music as in some experimental music. ...

. She met Eastman in 1981. In the late 1990s, she realized his music had been lost and set about collecting scores and recordings. With Renée Levine Packer, Leach edited ''Gay Guerrilla: Julius Eastman and His Music'', the premiere book on Eastman's life and work.

Works

* ''Piano Concerto'' for Emanuele, 2010 * ''Piano E-Tude'' for Piano, Singer and Piano on Tape, 2009 * ''Four Play'' for four Violins, 1986/2007 * ''Labyrinthu''s for mixed Chorus and String Quartet, 2007 * ''Bach's Set'' for Solo Cello and eight Celli on tape, 2007 * ''Notes Passing Notes'' for two Female singers live und two Female singers on tape, 2007 * ''Gulf War Syndrome'' for Piano, Clarinet, Cello, Percussion and Tape or Synthesizer and Tape or Piano, Synthesizer, Clarinet, 2-4 Instruments and Tape, 2004, 2006 * ''Wolff Tones E-Tude'' for Piano and 4-6 Instruments, 2004 * ''Dido in a Minute'' for Synthesizer and Tape, 2003 * ''The Crane Dance'' for Soprano and eight part Female Chorus, 2002 * ''Dido Remembered'' for Synthesizer and Tape, 2002 * ''Copralalia, la la la'' for two sopranos and tape, 2002 * ''Bruckstück'' for eight or six part Female chorus, 1989, 2002 * ''The Great Goddess'' for eight part Female Chorus, 2001 * ''Glorious Ariadne'' for eight part Female Chorus, 2001 * ''By'm Bye'' for Piano, 2001 * ''Hear My Voice'' for Soprano, eight part Female Chorus and String Quartet, 2001 * ''I Sing of Warfare'' for Tenor, Male Chorus and String Quartet, 2001 * ''Night Blossoms'' for Vocal quartet a cappella, 2001 * ''Theseus Arrives'' for mixed chorus and String Quartet, 2000 * ''Minos'' for Tenor and mixed chorus, 1999 * ''The Sacred Dance'' for Soprano and String Quartet, 1999 * ''Call to the Ceremony'' for mixed chorus and String Quartet, 1999 * ''Ceremony of the Bull'' for mixed chorus and String Quartet, 1998 * ''First String'' for String Quartet, 1998 * ''O Magna Vasti Creta'' for eight part female chorus and String Quartet, 1997 * ''Call of the Dance'' for Soprano and eight part female chorus, 1997 * ''Ariadne's Lament'' for eight part female chorus or Trombone Choir, 1993, 1996 * ''Ariel's Song'' for eight part female chorus or Trombone Choir, 1987, 1996 * ''Song of Sorrows'' for mixed Chorus, 1995 * ''Windjammer'' for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon, 1995 * ''Tricky Pan'' for Solo Countertenor and eight Countertenors on tape, 1995 * ''Corrina Ocarina'' for Flute und Harp, 1994 * ''Xantippe's Rebuke'' for Solo Oboe and eight Oboes on tape, 1993 * ''He Got Dictators'' for Soprano, Piano and Bass, 1993 * ''Feu de Joie'' for Solo Bassoon and six Bassoons on Tape, 1992 * ''Kirchtraum'', Hörspielmusik, 1992 * ''Bare Bones'' for four Trombones, 1989 * ''Pipe Dreams'' for Organ, 1989 * ''Sephardic Fragments'' for Soprano, 1989 * ''Mountain Echoes'' for eight part female chorus, 1987 * ''Guy de Polka'' for Accordion, 1987 * ''Ariel's Song'' for eight part female chorus, 1987 * ''Green Mountain Madrigal'' for eight part female chorus, 1985 * ''8 x 4'' for Alto flute, Clarinet, English horn und Singer, 1985 * ''Trio for Duo'' for Alto flute and Singer, 1985 * ''4BC'' for four Bass clarinets, 1984 * ''Held Held'' for Alto flute and singer, 1984 * ''Note Passing Note'' for Solo Female Singer and Female Singer on tape, 1981

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leach, Mary Jane Living people 21st-century American composers Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty 1949 births 20th-century American composers Musicians from Vermont 20th-century American women composers 21st-century American women composers American women academics