Robert Morris Aitken (born August 28, 1939) 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 Defi ...

and flautist. He began his career as a teenager playing in a number of orchestras, notably becoming the youngest principal flautist in the history of the

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VSO performs at the Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is ...

in 1958 at the age of 19. In 1971, he abandoned ensemble performance to pursue a highly successful solo career. He has appeared as a soloist with major symphony orchestras throughout North America, Europe and Asia and has made more than 40 commercial recordings.Robert Aitken
at Encyclopedia of Music in Canada Born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Aitken has played with the

, CBC Symphony Orchestra, and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He is Co-Artistic Director of New Music Concerts in Toronto. He has also done classical and contemporary music (along with eminent harpist Erica Goodman) 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 recordings. ...

. He studied flute with Nicolas Fiore, Marcel Moyse, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Andre Jaunet, Severino Gazzelloni, and Hubert Barwahser. From 1988 to 2004, Aitken was a member of the music faculty at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg, Germany. He is also a former faculty member of the University of Toronto (1960–1975) and the Shawnigan Summer School of Arts (1972–1982) and was director of advanced studies in music at the Banff Centre from 1985 to 1989.

Selected compositions

:Scores are available through the Canadian Music Centre. ;Orchestral * ''Spectra'' for four chamber groups (1968) * ''Shadows I: Nekuia'' (1971) * ''Spiral'' (1975) ;Concertante * Concerto for 12 solo instruments (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass) and orchestra (1965) * ''Berceuse "for Those Who Sleep before Us"'' for flute and orchestra (1992) * Concerto (Shadows V) for flute and string orchestra (1999) ;Chamber music * ''Kebyar'' for flute, clarinet, trombone, 2 double basses, percussion and prepared tape (1971) * ''Shadows II: Lalitá'' for flute, 3 cellos, 2 harps and 2 percussion (1973) * ''Icicle'' for flute solo (1977); Éditions musicales transatlantiques * ''Plainsong'' for flute solo (1977); Universal Edition * ''Folia'' for woodwind quintet (1980) * ''My Song: Shadows IV'' for 2 flutes (1994) * ''A Little Ground for Max'' for violin, trumpet, bass clarinet, double bass, percussion and piano (1997) * ''Wedding Song'' for 2 flutes (1998) ;Choral * ''Monodie: Fragments'' for mixed chorus and flute (1983)

Honours

* 1993 – Aitken was made a Member of the Order of Canada. * 2003 – National Flute Association Lifetime Achievement Award

References

External links

Robert Aitken

Robert Aitken at the Canadian Music Centre

Robert Aitken
biography and works on the UE website (publisher)
New Music Concerts
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitken, Robert 1939 births Canadian classical composers Canadian male classical composers Canadian classical flautists Canadian people of Scottish descent Living people Members of the Order of Canada Musicians from Nova Scotia People from Kentville, Nova Scotia

Selected compositions

Honours

See also

References

External links