Nancy Jean Van de Vate (; December 30, 1930 – July 29, 2023) was an American-born Austrian composer, violist and pianist. She also used the pseudonyms Helen Huntley and William Huntley. She is known for operas such as ''All Quiet on the Western Front'', and orchestral music such as ''Chernobyl'' and ''Journeys'', including concertos like the ''Kraków Concerto'' for percussion and orchestra. Van de Vate taught at several universities in the United States and led composers' organizations such as the

Southeastern Composers League The “Southeastern Composers’ League" (SCL) is an organization designed to support the composition and performance of contemporary art music by composers living in the southeastern portion of the United States. The geographic area covered by the ...

and the International League of Women Composers. In 1985, she moved to Vienna, where she taught and founded a CD company for new orchestral music together with her husband.

Life and career

Nancy Jean Hayes was born in

Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a City (New Jersey), city in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Nicknamed "The Queen City",

, on December 30, 1930. Raised in

Warren Township, New Jersey Warren Township is a township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a bedroom suburb of New York City in the much larger New York metropolitan area, located within the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 Unite ...

, she graduated from North Plainfield High School in 1948. She studied piano on a scholarship at

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 ...

and music theory at

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

. She completed graduate degrees in music composition at the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

and

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

, where she earned a Ph.D.Van de Vate, Nancy
snaccooperative.org. Accessed August 1, 2023. She pursued further studies in electronic music at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...

and the

University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant coll ...

. The first professional performance of her work was in 1958 the Adagio for orchestra. Van de Vate taught at

Memphis State University The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...

from 1964 to 1966. She also played viola in the Knoxville Symphony, founded a chapter of the

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

(NOW) in Tennessee, and directed the

. She taught at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

(1967),

Knoxville College Knoxville College is an unaccredited private historically black college in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America. The college is a United Negro College Fund member sch ...

(1968–1969; 1971–1972) and

Maryville College Maryville College is a Private college, private liberal arts college in Maryville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian minister Isaac L. Anderson for the purpose of furthering education and enlightenment into the West. The colleg ...

(1973–1974). She moved to Hawaii in 1975 where she first taught at the

University of Hawaii A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

, and from 1977 to 1980 at the

Hawaii Loa College Hawaii Loa College was a private, four-year, liberal arts college in Kaneohe, Hawaii, founded in 1963 as Christian College of the Pacific by a consortium of four Protestant church denominations in Hawaii, with land deeded by Harold K.L. Castle o ...

serving there also as Dean of Academic Affairs. She became influenced by Asian music; and moved to Indonesia in 1982 for three years. In 1975, she founded the League of Women Composers and served as chairperson until 1982; it was renamed the International League of Women Composers in 1979, and was merged into the

International Alliance for Women in Music The International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWM) is an international membership organization of women and men dedicated to fostering and encouraging the activities of women in music, particularly in the areas of musical activity, such as compos ...

in 1995. She lived permanently in Vienna from 1985. In 1990 she founded a CD company together with her husband Clyde A. Smith, Vienna Modern Masters, dedicated to new music for orchestra; she directed it after her husband's death. She taught composition at the Institute for European Studies in Vienna (IES). In 2010, the IES named her Composer-in-Residence.

Personal life

In 1952, Van de Vate married Dwight Van de Vate Jr. The couple had three children. They later divorced. She later married Clyde A. Smyth, who died of cancer in 1999. Van de Vate died on July 29, 2023, at age 92, at home in Vienna.

Work

Van de Vate composed seven operas, many orchestral works including concertos for one or more instruments, and

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 ...

. Her music has been seen as influenced by

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded ...

Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best-known works include '' Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', '' Polish Requiem'', '' ...

, Crumb and Varèse. Several of her compositions won international awards, and were nominated for the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

, the orchestral work ''Chernobyl'' also for the Koussevitsky International Recording Award. Her works have been performed internationally.

Recordings

Many of Van de Vate's works were recorded by her CD company Vienna Modern Masters (VMM). A CD of orchestral works was produced in 1990, named after ''Distant Worlds'', and played by the

Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra The Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra () is a Polish radio orchestra founded in 1945 in Warsaw by Stefan Rachoń. Initially, the orchestra made records only for Polish radio and television. In 1970, the orchestra began to tour and release record ...

conducted by Arnold Whittall reviewed the album for ''

Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

''; he summarized: "Her orchestral music undoubtedly makes its presence felt, especially by means of densely dissonant climaxes whose weight and seriousness are appropriate to works with such grandly evocative titles", adding that it "lacks that distinctiveness and magnetism". Her ''Chernobyl'' and her Violin Concerto was recorded by the same performers on a 1988 CD of mainly works by Penderecki, titled after ''

Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', also translated as ''Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima'' (), is a musical composition for 52 string instruments composed in 1961 by Krzysztof Penderecki. Dedicated to the residents and ''hibakusha'' ...

''. Her ''Krakow Concerto'' became the title of a 1991 album by the same performers, including also her ''Katyn'', Schoenberg's ''

A Survivor from Warsaw ''A Survivor from Warsaw'', Op. 46, is a work for narrator, chorus and orchestra by the Los Angeles–based Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg, written in tribute to Holocaust victims. The main narration is written in ''Sprechgesang'' style, betw ...

'', and Penderecki's Dies irae. Her vocal composition ''Cocaine Lil'' was recorded by and her ensemble belcanto, as the final track of a 1994 CD named after

Hanns Eisler Hanns Eisler (6 July 1898 – 6 September 1962) was a German-Austrian composer. He is best known for composing the national anthem of East Germany, for his long artistic association with Bertolt Brecht, and for the scores he wrote for films. The ...

's ''Woodburry-Liederbüchlein''.

Opera

* ''Hamlet'' (2009) opera in five acts, after Shakespeare, recorded 2011, premiered by the

's Opera Theatre Group April 18, 2015 * ''Where the Cross Is Made'' (2003) opera in three acts, Libretto based on the play by

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

Premiere: 2005 * ''Im Westen nichts Neues'' (2002) opera in three acts, libretto after the novel by

Erich Maria Remarque Erich Maria Remarque (; ; born Erich Paul Remark; 22 June 1898 – 25 September 1970) was a German novelist. His landmark novel '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1928), based on his experience in the Imperial German Army during World War ...

, premiere: September 28, 2003,

Theater Osnabrück Theater Osnabrück is a German theatre in Osnabrück, Germany. It operates under the auspices of the ''Städtische Bühnen Osnabrück gGmbH''. The primary performance venues are the ''Theater am Domhof'' (seating capacity 642) and the ''emma-thea ...

, directed by Thomas Münstermann * ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1998) anti-war opera in three acts, premiere 2003,

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through its 2013 bankruptcy, and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, dubbed "the peopl ...

* ''Nemo: Jenseits von Vulkania'' (1995) opera in four acts, libretto: Allen Cortes and Van de Vate recorded by VMM * ''Der Herrscher und das Mädchen'' (1995) children's opera, premiered in Vienna 1995 * ''The Death of the Hired Man'' (''Der Tod des Tagelöhners''), (1958; rev. 1998) chamber opera, libretto: after

Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American Colloquialism, colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New E ...

, premiered in German 1999

Orchestral

* ''Suite for String Orchestra after Mechthild from Magdeburg'' (2000) * Adagio and Rondo for Violin and String Orchestra (1994) * Viola Concerto (1990) 16' * ''Kraków Concerto'' for percussion and orchestra (1988) 25', recorded in 1991 * ''Abschied von Chernobyl'', recorded in 2011 by

Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra The Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien'', or RSO Wien) is the orchestra of the Austrian national broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF). Unlike most other Austrian orchestras, the RSO Wien has a sub ...

conducted by Gottfried Rabl * ''Katyn'' (1989) recorded in 1991 * ''Chernobyl'' (1987) written in response to the Chernobyl disaster, 13', premiered in Vienna by the

Tonkünstler Orchestra The Tonkunstler Orchestra (German: ''Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich'', ) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna and Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria. Origin of the name The orchestra's name has its origins in the ''Tonkünstler-Soziet ...

, recorded in 1988 * ''Distant Worlds'' (1985) 16' premiered in Krakow in 1987, recorded in 1990 * Piece for Cello and Orchestra (1985), recorded in 1990 * Violin Concerto No. 1 (1985) in three movements, 26' dedicated to the composer's husband, Clyde A. Smyth, first performed in

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

on June 20, 1987, by Janusz Mirynsky and the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Szymon Kawalla, and recorded by them in 1988 * ''Journeys'' (1984) 16' recorded in 1990, and in 1991 by the

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...

conducted by Carolann Martin * Concert piece for cello and small orchestra (1979) * ''Dark nebulae'' (1981) 11', performed in Vienna at the

Musikverein The ( or ; ), commonly shortened to , is a concert hall in Vienna, Austria, which is located in the Innere Stadt district. The building opened in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra. The acoustics of the building's 'Grea ...

conducted by

Carlos Kalmar Carlos Kalmar (born February 26, 1958, in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan conductor.Macaluso, p. 194 Biography Born to Jewish immigrant parents from Austria, Kalmar began violin studies at age six. At age fifteen, he enrolled at the Vienna Academy o ...

, and by the

Honolulu Symphony The Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, formerly known as Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, was founded in 1900. It is the second oldest orchestra in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains. The orchestra now plays mainly at the Hawaii Theatre Center ...

conducted by Donald Johannos, recorded in 1990 * Piano Concerto (1968, rev. 1994) * Variations for Chamber Orchestra (1958), premiered in

Hattiesburg, Mississippi Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County, Mississippi, Forrest County (where it is the county seat and most populous city) and extending west into Lamar County, Mississippi, Lamar County. The ci ...

, on March 13, 1963 by Mississippi Southern College Forum Orchestra, conducted by Vincent de Frank * Adagio (1957) 6', premiered in

Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal Plain, Gulf Coastal and Piedmont (United States), Piedm ...

, on April 18, 1958 by University of Alabama Forum Orchestra, conducted by Henry Sopkin *''A Peacock Southeast Flew'' (Concerto for Pipa & Orchestra) (1997)

Theatre music

* ''Cocaine Lil'' (1986) for 4–8 jazz singers with small percussion, recorded in 1994 by ensemble belcanto, conducted by * ''A Night in the Royal Ontario Museum'' (1983) text:

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and an inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of nonfiction, nine collections of short fiction, eight chi ...

Music for strings

* String Quartet No. 2 (2005) * Piano Trio (1983) * String Trio (1974) * Viola Sonata (1964) * String Quartet No. 1 (1969)

Music for percussion

* Suite for Marimba (2000) * ''Teufelstanz'' (1988) for six percussionists

Music for mixed ensembles

* Music for Viola, Percussion and Piano (1976)

Choral music

* Cantata for Women's Voices (1979) texts:

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 ...

Walt Whitman Walter Whitman Jr. (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incor ...

Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics ...

, anon. * ''An American Essay'' (1972) for choir, piano and percussion, texts:

* ''The Pond'' (1970) for choir a cappella, text:

Annette von Droste-Hülshoff Baroness Anna Elisabeth Franziska Adolphine Wilhelmine Louise Maria von Droste zu Hülshoff, known as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (; 10 January 179724 May 1848), was a 19th-century German Biedermeier poet, novelist, and composer of Classical ...

, premiered 1970 * ''Make a Joyful Noise'' (1963) for chorus and piano (or organ), written under pseudonym William Huntley * Psalm 121 (1958)

Keyboard instruments

* Twelve Pieces for Piano "On One to Twelve Notes" (1986) recorded in 2006 by Catherine Nardiello * Fantasy for Harpsichord (1982)

References

External links

* * *

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

.
Compositions by Nancy Van de Vate
musicaneo.com.

August 30, 1990, and August 27, 1998. * McNamee, Dardis
A Woman's Life Written in Music
(interview), ''The Vienna Review'', September 18, 2012 *

(September 30, 2023) {{DEFAULTSORT:Van De Vate, Nancy 1930 births 2023 deaths American classical composers American expatriates in Austria American opera composers American people of Dutch descent American women classical composers Austrian classical composers Austrian opera composers Austrian women classical composers Classical musicians from New Jersey Dartmouth College alumni Eastman School of Music alumni Florida State University alumni Musicians from Plainfield, New Jersey North Plainfield High School alumni People from Warren Township, New Jersey University of Mississippi alumni University of New Hampshire alumni Women opera composers 20th-century Austrian women composers 20th-century Austrian composers 21st-century Austrian women composers 21st-century Austrian composers 21st-century American women composers 21st-century American composers