Richard Covey (born May 28, 1979) is a Canadian

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 def ...

who is currently a sessional instructor in the Department of Music at the

University of Prince Edward Island The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is a public university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the only university in the province. Founded in 1969, the enabling legislation is the ''University Act, R.S.P.E.I 2000.'' H ...

Biography

Canadian composer Richard Covey was born in

Brockville Brockville is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands region. Although it is the seat of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, it is politically Independent city, independent of the county. It is included with Leeds and ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada on May 28, 1979. Since 2006 he has resided in

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, where he teaches theory and composition in the Music Department at UPEI, and also performs as a pianist with the contemporary chamber music ensemble '' eklektikos'' and other musicians. As a professional composer, Covey has received several commissions, and his works have been performed by orchestras such as Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, PEI Symphony Orchestra; wind ensembles such as Charlottetown Rural High School Senior Concert Band, Queen Charlotte Intermediate School Band, UPEI Wind Symphony; chamber ensembles such as ''eklektikos'' and the

Gryphon Trio The Gryphon Trio is a Canadian classical music ensemble that has been nominated for several and has won three Juno Awards for its classical recordings released by the Analekta label. Its members are Annalee Patipatanakoon (violin), Roman Borys ( ...

; and choirs such as Sirens. His ''Echoes'' was chosen as the required work for

UBC The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

’s 2012 Knigge Piano Competition. In 2017, Covey was one of four Atlantic Canadian composers commissioned by the PEI Symphony Orchestra to create a collaborative work, ''Cantata for Canada 150'', in celebration of the 150th anniversary of

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation () was the process by which three British North American provinces—the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—were united into one federation, called the Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion, Dominion of Ca ...

. Each composer was asked to set their music to poetry written by one of four young PEI students chosen through a provincial poetry contest. The poem Covey set was titled 'As I Walk'. Created with partial funding from the Canadian federal government, the new work received its premiere on November 19, 2017. As an educator, Richard Covey's work extends beyond the university and into the community. In 2016, for example, Covey worked with the Grade 8 band students at Queen Charlotte Intermediate School, in Charlottetown, PEI, to create a new work based on the anti-bullying themes behind the school’s new motto, “Reflect, respect, connect”. The project, made possible through an ArtsSmarts grant, allowed Covey to guide the students through a musical exploration of the themes of their motto, which culminated in a public performance of their collaborative composition. Covey is an Associate Composer of the

Canadian Music Centre The Canadian Music Centre was founded in 1959 by a group of Canadian composers who saw a need to create a repository for Canadian music. It now holds Canada's largest collection of Canadian concert music, and works to promote the music of its As ...

Education

B.Mus. A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...

Wilfrid Laurier University Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a Public university, public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Ontario, Waterloo, Brantford, Ontario, Brantford and Milton, Ontario, Milton. The ...

(Jamie Parker, piano; Glenn Buhr, composition) *

M.Mus. The Master of Music (MM or MMus) is, as an academic title, the first graduate degree in music awarded by universities and conservatories. The MM combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually performance in singing or i ...

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

(

Stephen Chatman Stephen Chatman (born 28 February 1950) is an American-born Canadian composer residing in Vancouver. His compositions have been performed across Canada and in the United States. Early life and education Chatman was born in Faribault, Minnesota ...

, composition) *

D.M.A. The doctor of musical arts (DMA) is a doctoral academic degree in music. The DMA combines advanced studies in an applied area of specialization (usually music performance, music composition, or conducting) with graduate-level academic study in su ...

, University of British Columbia (Dorothy Chang,

Keith Hamel Keith Hamel (born 1956 in Morden, Manitoba, Canada) is a composer, software designer, and professor of music. His music consists of orchestral, chamber, solo, and vocal music, often focussing on live electronics and interactivity between aco ...

, composition)

Compositions

Solo works

* In the Groove (piano) 2016 * Over the Sand Dunes (piano) 2016 * The Moment When (alto saxophone) 2013 * Echoes (piano) 2012 * Echoes I: Of Time and Tone (piano) 2011 * Discord (flute) 2005 - Premiered by ''eklektikos'' on April 9, 2005. * Wedding March (organ) * Wedding March No. 2 (piano) 2012 * Piano Sonata No. 1 * Berceuse (piano)

Chamber works

* Through Fire and Water (violin, piano) 2017 * Give Voice (string orchestra) 2015 * Dance of the Summer Wind (clarinet, piano) 2015 * This Broken Chain (brass quintet) 2014 * Brevis Lux (string orchestra version) 2013 * Improvvisando (trombone, piano) 2010 - Premiered by ''eklektikos'' on September 27, 2010. * Te Deum (flute, clarinet, piano) 2010 - Premiered by ''eklektikos'' on September 27, 2010. * Songs on the Waves (flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, piano) 2007 - Premiered by ''eklektikos'' on July 15, 2007. * Come Ye Washed (flute, cello) 2007 * Homage (woodwind quintet) 2007 * Four Snapshots (clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, piano) * Six Miniatures for Brass Quintet * Three Hymns (2 flutes) * Piano Trio No. 1 * Fantasia (trombone, piano) * Fugue No. 1 (string quartet) * Fugue No. 2 (string quartet)

Vocal works

* Night Songs (songs for mezzo-soprano, in progress) 2017 * The Winter Snow (SATB) 2015 * Lost Voices (SSA) 2014 - Premiered by Sirens Choir on April 28, 2014. * Brevis Lux (SATB) 2013 * Still (voice, piano) 2013 * Lament and Hope (bass/baritone voice, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, cello, bass, percussion, piano) * The Most of It (alto voice, piano) * Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience (2 sopranos, flute, cello, piano) * Psalm 54 (SATB, organ/piano) * Born in Bethlehem (SSA) * Christmas Carol (SSA) * Barbara Allen (English Folksong)

Works for large ensemble

* As I Walk (part of ''Cantata for Canada 150'') 2017 - Commissioned by the PEI Symphony Orchestra. Premiered on February 1, 2015. * Respect, Reflect, Connect (junior high school band) 2016 - Premiered by Queen Charlotte Intermediate School Band. * Blue Waves, Yellow Sun (wind symphony) 2016 * Black Night and Dreams of White (wind symphony) 2015 * Abegweit, Symphony for an Island (orchestra, folk fiddle) 2014 - Commissioned by the PEI Symphony Orchestra. Premiered on February 1, 2015. * The Place We Call Home (orchestra, soprano voice) 2014 * Canadian Soundscape (orchestra) 2014 * The Red Island Awakes (wind symphony) 2014 - Premiered by Charlottetown Rural High School Senior Concert Band on May 22, 2014. * ARISE (orchestra) 2013 - Premiered by the PEI Symphony on February 10, 2013. * Maestoso (wind symphony) 2012 * In Three (orchestra) 2007 * Symphonic Poem (orchestra)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Covey, Richard 1979 births Living people People from Brockville Canadian classical composers Wilfrid Laurier University alumni University of British Columbia School of Music alumni