Sheila Jane Silver (born October 3, 1946) is an American composer.

Early life and studies

Sheila Silver was born in Seattle, Washington in 1946, the youngest daughter of Robert and Fannie Silver. She started piano studies at the age of five. After two years at the University of Washington, she transferred to the University of California where she received a Bachelor of Arts in 1968. She then studied with

Erhard Karkoschka Erhard Karkoschka (March 6, 1923 – June 26, 2009), was a German composer, scholar and conductor. Karkoschka was born in the German linguistic enclave of Moravská Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, and subsequent to World War II became a violinist for th ...

at the

State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart The State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart is a professional school for musicians and performing artists in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1857, it is one of the oldest schools of its kind in Germany. History The school was f ...

, and with

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" ...

in Berlin and later in Hamburg. She attended the 1970 Darmstadt Summer Institute, and spent a summer at the

Tanglewood Music Center The Tanglewood Music Center is an annual summer music academy in Lenox, Massachusetts, United States, in which emerging professional musicians participate in performances, master classes and workshops. The center operates as a part of the Tanglewo ...

(1972) where she studied with

Jacob Druckman Jacob Raphael Druckman (June 26, 1928 – May 24, 1996) was an American composer born in Philadelphia. Life A graduate of the Juilliard School in 1956, Druckman studied with Vincent Persichetti, Peter Mennin, and Bernard Wagenaar. In 1949 and ...

. At Brandies University she studied with Arthur Berger and

Harold Shapero Harold Samuel Shapero (April 29, 1920 – May 17, 2013) was an American composer. Early years Shapero was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, on April 29, 1920. He and his family later moved to nearby Newton. He learned to play the piano as a chi ...

, earning her PhD in 1976. Silver is Professor Emerita at the

State University of New York at Stony Brook Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public research university in Stony Brook, New York. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is one of the State University of New York system's ...

and served as Visiting Professor at the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William ...

Career

Silver has merged tonal and atonal elements in works starting with her 1979 ''Canto, A Setting of Ezra Pound’s Canto XXXIX'', for baritone and chamber ensemble (commissioned by the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood). Richard Dyer wrote in the Boston Globe of the world premiere, “Sheila Silver’s ''Canto'' matches Pound’s text with music of a comparably audacious directness, simplicity, and specificity and therefore boldly occupies a psycho-spiritual region that few other composers have cared to approach; it is a beautiful work.” Silver often finds inspiration in non-Western musical traditions, such as Hebraic Chant, (''Shirat Sara'' and ''Cello Sonata''), Sikh prayer mantras (''The Thief of Love'', ''Ek Ong Kar'',) or

Hindustani music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...

(''A Thousand Splendid Suns''). She collects Tibetan singing bowls and has used them in compositions such as ''Being in Life'' and ''The White Rooster''. Critics have praised Silver’s work for being modern and accessible. Cary Smith in the Journal American wrote: “''To the Spirit Unconquered'' is one of those rare compositions that grabs you emotionally and will not let you go. It is a stunning modern masterpiece, a work of profound musical and emotional depth.” Her ''Piano Concerto'' was written for pianist Alexander Paley and premiered by the

American Composers Orchestra The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is an American orchestra administratively based in New York City, specialising in contemporary American music. The ACO gives concerts at various concert venues in New York City, including: * Zankel Hall at ...

at Carnegie Hall in 1996. Said Steve Schwarz, in Classical Net, the Concerto "speaks with what I'd call a depth of discourse...it bespeaks a maturity of mind and culture found in few composers."

Film music

Silver has scored three independent feature films directed by her husband, John Feldman,: ''Alligator Eyes'', ''

Dead Funny ''Dead Funny'' is a 1994 independent drama film directed by John Feldman. It stars Elizabeth Peña as Vivian Saunders, a woman who comes home from work and finds her boyfriend Reggie Barker (Andrew McCarthy) pinned to her kitchen table with a long ...

'' and ''Who the Hell is Booby Roos?'', winner of the Seattle International Film Festival’s New American Cinema Award in 2002. She also scored Feldman’s much acclaimed documentary about the scientist

Lynn Margulis Lynn Margulis (born Lynn Petra Alexander; March 5, 1938 – November 22, 2011) was an American evolutionary biologist, and was the primary modern proponent for the significance of symbiosis in evolution. Historian Jan Sapp has said that "Lynn M ...

, ''Symbiotic Earth'', and is currently working on the score for his new documentary, ''Regenerating Life''.

Vocal music

Silver has written several song cycles. ''Beauty Intolerable: A Songbook based on the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay'' includes 14 songs and two rounds by this American iconic poet. It can be heard on a 2021 album released by

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. See also * List of record labe ...

and starring singers

Dawn Upshaw Dawn Upshaw (born July 17, 1960) is an American soprano. She is the recipient of several Grammy Awards and has released a number of Edison Award-winning discs; she performs both opera and art song, and her repertoire spans Baroque to contempor ...

Stephanie Blythe Stephanie Blythe (born 1970) is an American mezzo-soprano who has had an active international career in operas and concerts since the early 1990s. She is particularly associated with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, with whom she has perf ...

, Sidney Outlaw,

Deanne Meek Deanne Meek is an American operatic mezzo-soprano who has had an active international career since the mid 1990s. She has performed at several major opera houses around the world, including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. Life and career Ra ...

, Lucy Fitz Gibbon, pianists

Gilbert Kalish Gilbert Kalish (born July 2, 1935) is an American pianist. He was born in New York and studied with Leonard Shure, Julius Hereford and Isabelle Vengerova. He was a founding member of the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, a pioneering new music g ...

, Warren Jones, and other musicians. Of the recording, American Record Guide says “Silver...writes music that marries the delicious bitterness of jazzy discord with lush, cool harmonies and merges the two harmonic moods together with ease...The music is just as rich and captivating as the text that inspired it, and the splendid performances by this top-notch cast of artists are not a surprise. Spend some time with Edna and Sheila and Sappho and the rest.” In 2021, Silver completed an opera based on

Khaled Hosseini Khaled Hosseini (;Pashto/Dari ; born March 4, 1965) is an Afghan-American novelist, UNHCR goodwill ambassador, and former physician. His debut novel ''The Kite Runner'' (2003) was a critical and commercial success; the book and his subsequent ...

's novel ''

A Thousand Splendid Suns ''A Thousand Splendid Suns'' is a 2007 novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini, following the huge success of his bestselling 2003 debut ''The Kite Runner''. Mariam, an illegitimate teenager from Herat, is forced to marry a shoemaker fro ...

'' with a libretto by her long-time collaborator, Stephen Kitsakos. It was premiered by the

Seattle Opera Seattle Opera is an opera company based in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1963 by Glynn Ross, who served as its first general director until 1983. The company's season runs from August through late May, comprising five or six operas of e ...

in February 2023. In preparation for composing this opera, she undertook a study of Hindustani music, making multiple trips to India between 2013-2020 to study with Pandit

Kedar Bodas Kedar Bodas is an Indian classical vocalist belonging to the Gwalior gharana. He was described by ''Scroll.in'' as a "master khayal singer." Bodas was born into a family of musicians. He received early training from his grandfather Lakshmanrao ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...

. Silver’s intention is to take color and inspiration for her Western musical voice from Hindustani music.

Awards and honors

In addition to grants and commissions from such organizations as the Paul Fromm Foundation, the Barlow Foundation, the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federa ...

, the

Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Ca ...

, the Cary Trust,

Chamber Music America Chamber Music America (CMA) is an American non-profit organization that provides small ensemble professionals with access to a variety of professional development, networking, and funding resources. CMA's regular initiatives include grants, awards, ...

, and

Opera America __NOTOC__ Opera America, styled OPERA America, is a New York-based service organization promoting the creation, presentation, and enjoyment of opera in the United States. Almost all professional opera companies and some semi-professional companies i ...

, Silver’s honors include: * invited to be the Elliot Carter Resident Composer at the

American Academy in Rome The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo (Janiculum Hill) in Rome. The academy is a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. History In 1893, a group of American architects ...

(Spring 2020) *

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

(2013) * The Raymond and Beverly

Sackler Prize The Sackler Prize can indicate any of the following three awards established by Raymond Sackler and his wife Beverly Sackler currently bestowed by the Tel Aviv University. Sackler Prize in the Physical Sciences The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Inte ...

in Music Composition in Opera (2007—for The Wooden Sword) *

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headq ...

Composer Award (1986) * Twice winner of the

ISCM The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music. The organization was established in Salzburg in 1922 as Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM) following the ...

National Composers Competition (1982 and 1983) * The

Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Prizes have been awarded annually since 1921, with a hiatus ...

in Music Composition (1979) * The

Radcliffe Institute The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University—also known as the Harvard Radcliffe Institute—is a part of Harvard University that fosters interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts, a ...

Fellowship (1977) * The George Ladd Prix de Paris (1969–71) * Koussevitzky Fellowship

List of works

Orchestral works

* ''Being in Life'', Concerto for Horn/Alphorn, string orchestra, and Tibetan singing bowls (2019) * ''Midnight Prayer'' (2003) * ''Piano Concerto'' (1996) * ''Three Preludes for Orchestra'' (1992) * ''Song of Sara'' for string orchestra (1985/87) * ''Chariessa'', for soprano and orchestra (1980)

Operatic works

*''

,'' 2021 (based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini) * ''The Wooden Sword'', 2010 (chamber opera based on an international folktale) * ''The Tale of the White Rooster'', 2010 (chamber opera about Tibetan nuns escaping across the Tibetan Indian border) * ''The Thief of Love'', 1986 (based on a 17th century Bengali court tale as told by Bharatchandra)

Vocal works

* ''On Loving: Three Songs for Diane Kalish in memoriam'' (2016) * ''Beauty Intolerable: A Songbook based on the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay'' (2013) * ''Transcending: Three Songs for Michael Dash, in memoriam'' (1999) * ''Ek Ong Kar'', a capella chorus (1983) * ''Canto: A Setting of Ezra Pound’s Canto XXIX'' for baritone and chamber ensemble (1979) * ''Chariessa: A Cycle of Six Songs on Fragments from Sappho'' (1978)

Chamber

* ''Resilient Earth: Six Preludes for Piano and Four Caprices for Solo Violin'' (2022) * ''Three Etudes'', for Trumpet (2020) * ''Toccata and Nocturne'', for solo piano, inspired by Raga Jog (2016/18) * ''Down by the River'', for trombone quartet (2016) * ''Hazim’s Dance'', for string trio, harp, and oboe (2008) * ''Twilight’s Last Gleaming'', for two pianos and percussion (2007) * ''Chant'', for contrabass and piano (2004) * ''Moon Prayer'', for string sextet (2002) * ''Music Visions (Subway Sunset and As the Earth Turns)'', for woodwinds and video (1999/2000) * ''Lullaby'', for bassoon or bass clarinet and piano, (1999) * ''Four Etudes and a Fantasy'', for string quartet (1996) * ''From Darkness Emerging'', for string quartet and harp (1995) * ''To the Spirit Unconquered'', for piano trio, inspired by the writings of Primo Levi (1992) * ''Six Preludes for Piano on poems of Baudelaire'' (1991) * ''Cello Sonata'' (1988) * ''Dance Converging'', for horn, viola, piano, and percussion (1987)

Film scores

* ''Alligator Eyes'' * ''Dead Funny'' * ''Who the Hell is Booby Roos?'' * ''Symbiotic Earth''

Discography

* ''Beauty Intolerable: Songs of Sheila Silver'' (2021), CD, (TROY 1854-55) with Dawn Upshaw, Stephanie Blythe, Sidney Outlaw, Lucy Fitz Gibbon, Deanne Meek, Risa Renae Harman, Gilbert Kalish, Timothy Long, Kayo Iwama, Warren Jones, Ryan M. McCullough # ''Beauty Intolerable,'' A Songbook based on the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay # ''On Loving,'' Three Songs for Diane Kalish, in memoriam # ''Transcending,'' Three Songs for Michael Dash, in memoriam # ''Chariessa,'' A Cycle of Six Songs on Fragments from Sappho # ''Nocturne,'' Inspired by Raga Jog, for solo piano * ''String Quartet'' (2011) (NWCRL 520) Atlantic String Quartet * ''Twilight’s Last Gleaming'' (2009) (Bridge 9319 - Stony Brook Soundings) Pianists: Gilbert Kalish, Christina Dahl. Percussion: Eduardo Leandro, Kevin Dufford * ''Six préludes pour piano, d’après poèmes de Baudelaire'' (2009) (TROY 1087) Tanya Bannister, piano * ''Shirat Sara (Song of Sarah)'' (2004) Milken Archive (Naxos 8.559426) Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony Strings * ''Piano Concerto'' and ''Six Preludes for Piano on Poems of Baudelaire'' (2003) (Naxos 8.557015) with Alexander Paley, piano, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Guntaras Rinkevicius, conductor * ''To the Spirit Unconquered'' (1996) (CRI 708) The Guild Trio: Janet Orenstein, violin; Brooks Whitehouse, cello; Patricia Tao, piano; Gilbert Kalish, piano; Lois Martin, viola; William Purvis, French horn; Lisa Moore, piano; Thad Wheeler, percussion # ''Dance Converging'' # ''Dynamis'' # ''Six Preludes for Piano on poems of Baudelaire'' * ''Ek Ong Kar'' (1987) (GSS 107) The Gregg Smith Singers * ''Canto, A Setting of Ezra Pound’s Canto XXIX'' (1979) (Mode 23) Musicians' Accord ensemble, Michael Dash, baritone, Sheila Silver, cond. * ''Cello Sonata'' (1977) (CRI 590) Timothy Eddy, cello, Gilbert Kalish, piano

References

External links

*
Recordings of Sheila Silver’s MusicOrder Sheila Silver’s Music from Keiser Southern MusicReview of ''Beauty Intolerable: Songs of Sheila Silver''American Opera Projects Spotlight on Sheila Silver
* ttps://www.milkenarchive.org/news/news-items/view/rediscover-the-unconquerable-spirit-of-sheila-silver/ Rediscover the Unconquerable Spirit of Sheila Silverbr>Sheila Silver Composer Portrait at Merkin HallOverview of Silver’s career at Musica Kaleidoskopea
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silver, Sheila 1946 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century American women musicians 20th-century classical composers 20th-century women composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century classical composers 21st-century women composers American classical composers American opera composers American women classical composers Brandeis University alumni Classical musicians from Washington (state) College of William & Mary faculty Jewish American classical composers Living people Musicians from Seattle Pupils of Jacob Druckman Stony Brook University faculty University of California, Berkeley alumni Women in classical music Women opera composers