Richard Danielpour (born January 28, 1956) is an American composer and academic, currently affiliated with theCurtis Institute of Music and theUniversity of California, Los Angeles.

Danielpour was born in New York City ofPersian Jewish descent and grew up in New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida.^[1] He studied atOberlin College and theNew England Conservatory of Music, and later at theJuilliard School of Music, where he received aDMA incomposition in 1986. His primary composition professors at Juilliard wereVincent Persichetti andPeter Mennin.^[2]

Danielpour taught at theManhattan School of Music from 1993 to 2017. He joined the faculty ofCurtis Institute of Music in 1997.^[3] He joined the faculty of the Herb Alpert School of Music of the University of California Los Angeles in 2017.

In common with many other American composers of the post-war generation, Danielpour began his career in aserialist milieu, but rejected it in the late 1980s in favor of a more ecumenical and "humdrum" idiom. He cites theBeatles—along withJohn Adams,Christopher Rouse, andJoseph Schwantner—as influences on his more recent musical style. Danielpour's notable works includeFirst Light (1988) for chamber orchestra, three symphonies (1985, 1986, and 1990), fourpiano concerti (1981, 1993, 2002 and 2009), the balletAnima mundi (1995), and the operaMargaret Garner (2005).^[4]

His students includeMarcus Paus^[5] andWang Jie.^[6]

• Margaret Garner (libretto byToni Morrison; 2005)^[7]
• The Grand Hotel Tartarus (2024)^[8]

• Anima Mundi (1995)
  • For thePacific Northwest Ballet
• Urban Dances (1996)
  • For theNew York City Ballet and choreographer Miriam Mataviani

• Oratio Pauli (1982), for S.A.T.B. choir and string orchestra
• Symphony No. 1 –Dona Nobis Pacem (1984)
• Symphony No. 2 –Visions (1986), for soprano, tenor and orchestra
• First Light (1988)
• Cello Concerto No. 1 (1990), for cello and orchestra
• Piano Concerto No. 1 –Metamorphosis (1990), for piano and orchestra^[9]
• The Awakened Heart (1990)
• Symphony No. 3 –Journey Without Distance (1990), for soprano, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
• Song of Remembrance (1991)
• Toward the Splendid City (1992)
  • commissioned by theNew York Philharmonic
• Piano Concerto No. 2 (1993), for piano and orchestra
• Anima Mundi (1995)
  • commissioned by thePacific Northwest Ballet; choreographed by Kent Stowell.
    • premièred inSeattle, Washington, on 6 February 1996, Stewart Kershaw conducting.
• Canticle of Peace (1995), for baritone, S.A.T.B. choir and chamber orchestra
• Concerto for Orchestra –Zoroastrian Riddles (1996)^[10]
• Urban Dances (Dance Suite in Five Movements (1996)
• Celestial Night (1997)
• Elegies (1997),song-cycle for mezzo-soprano, baritone and orchestra
• Vox Populi (1998)
• A Fool's Paradise (1999),concerto for violin and orchestra
  • commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary ofYaddo's collaboration with thePhiladelphia Orchestra; written for violinistChantal Juillet and the Philadelphia Orchestra, who premièred the work underCharles Dutoit at theSaratoga Center,New York in August 2000.
• The Night Rainbow (1999)
• A Child's Reliquary (2000),double concerto for violin, cello and orchestra
• Nocturne (2000), for string orchestra
• An American Requiem (2001), for mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
• Cello Concerto No. 2 –Through the Ancient Valley (2001), for cello solo,kamancheh soloists and orchestra^[11]
  • commissioned by theNew York Philharmonic for cellistYo-Yo Ma, who premièred the work underKurt Masur atAvery Fisher Hall,New York City on March 14, 2001.
• In the Arms of the Beloved (2001),double concerto for violin, cello and orchestra
  • commissioned to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary ofJaime Laredo (violinist) andSharon Robinson (cellist), who premièred the work with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra underMichael Stern inGermantown, Tennessee, on April 20, 2002.
• From the Mountaintop (2001), concerto for clarinet and orchestra
• Piano Concerto No. 3 –Zodiac Variations (2002), for piano left-hand and orchestra
  • commissioned byHerbert R. Axelrod for pianistGary Graffman, who gave the work's première with theNational Symphony Orchestra underLeonard Slatkin at theKennedy Center, Washington, D.C., on April 4, 2002.
• Apparitions (2003), for chamber orchestra
  • commissioned by theNew Jersey Symphony, who premièred the work underZdeněk Mácal at theNew Jersey Performing Arts Center,Newark, New Jersey, on May 14, 2003.
• Swan Song (2003), for string orchestra
  • an arrangement of the third movement of Danielpour's String Quartet No. 4 –Apparitions
• Songs of Solitude (2004),song-cycle for baritone and orchestra
  • written for baritoneThomas Hampson, commissioned by thePhiladelphia Orchestra, who premièred the work underDavid Robertson inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania on October 21, 2004.
• Adagietto (2005), for string orchestra
  • commissioned by theWheeling Jesuit University for theWheeling Symphony, who premièred the work (as part of theWheeling Jesuit University's 50th anniversary celebrations) under André Raphael Smith inWheeling, West Virginia, on March 11, 2005.
• Voice of the City (2005), for concert band
• Washington Speaks (2005), for narrator and orchestra
  • commissioned by theKnights of Columbus for theOrchestra of St. Luke's, who premièred the work underGilbert Levine withTed Koppel as narrator at theBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., on November 14, 2007.
• Pastime (2006),song-cycle for baritone and orchestra
  • co-commissioned by thePittsburgh Symphony, theAtlanta Symphony, and theBrooklyn Philharmonic in celebration of the2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on 10 July 2006.
• Triptych (2006), for soprano & orchestra
  • three arias from Danielpour's 2005 operaMargaret Garner; commissioned by theWheeling Symphony, who premièred the work with soprano soloist Tracie Luck and André Raphael Smith conducting inWheeling, West Virginia, on May 19, 2006.
• Voices of Remembrance (2006),concerto for string quartet and orchestra
  • commissioned by theNational Symphony Orchestra, Washington, D.C.
• A Woman's Life (2007), for soprano and orchestra
  • commissioned by thePittsburgh Symphony and thePhiladelphia Orchestra; premièred by sopranoAngela Brown with thePittsburgh Symphony underLeonard Slatkin on October 16, 2009, inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• Rocking the Cradle (2007)
  • commissioned by theBaltimore Symphony, who premièred the work underJuanjo Mena on March 22, 2007, inBaltimore, Maryland.
• Three Prayers (2007), for soprano and orchestra
  • excerpted from Danielpour's operaMargaret Garner
• Souvenirs (2008), for chamber orchestra
  • commissioned by theKravis Center for theVienna Chamber Orchestra, who premièred the work underPhilippe Entremont inVienna, 2008.
• Kaddish (2008), rewritten for violin solo and orchestra
  • commissioned by theNew Jersey Symphony Orchestra, with soloistGil Shaham.
• Vox Terrae (2008), for orchestra (G.Shirmer/A.M.P.)
  • Commissioned by the Lancaster Symphony
• Lacrimae Beati (2009), for string orchestra
  • commissioned by the Sejong Soloists, who premièred the work atAlice Tully Hall,New York in December 2009.
• Icarus (2009), for large brass ensemble, seven percussion and two pianos
  • commissioned by a consortium of eighteen US universities, premièred by theIndiana University of Pennsylvania "Keystone Brass Ensemble" at the WASBE International Conference in July 2010. A further performance was given by thePittsburgh Symphony in 2010. The score is dedicated toJack Stamp.
• Mirrors (2009), suite in five movements for piano and orchestra
  • commissioned by thePacific Symphony forJeffrey Biegel
• Piano Concerto No. 4 –A Hero's Journey (2010), for piano and orchestra
  • Commissioned by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and International Performing Artists Company. Written for Xiayin Wang and Philippe Entremont.
• Across the Span of Time (2011), for orchestra
  • Commissioned by the Seattle Symphony
• Darkness in the Ancient Valley (2011), symphony in five movements for solo soprano and orchestra
  • Co-commissioned by the Nashville Symphony and the Pittsburgh Symphony
• Vox Humana (2012), premiered in May 2013 in Mannheim, Germany (conductor:Dan Ettinger, NTO Mannheim)
• The Song of the Wandering Darveesh (2012), for orchestra
  • Commissioned by the Great Mountains Music Festival, South Korea
• Serenade (2013), for large orchestra
  • Commissioned by the Saratoga Performing Arts Center for the Philadelphia Orchestra

• "String Quartet No. 1 –Requiem" (1983), for two violins, viola and cello
• Piano Quintet (1988), for string quartet and piano
• Urban Dances (Book 1) (1988), for brass quintet
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 1 (1992), for soprano solo, flute, clarinet, horn, piano, percussion and string quintet
• Songs of the Night (1993), for tenor and piano trio
• String Quartet No. 2 –Shadow Dances (1993), for two violins, viola and cello
• Urban Dances, Book 2 (1993), for brass quintet
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 2 (1994), for baritone solo, flute, clarinet, horn, piano, percussion and string quintet
• String Quartet No. 3 –Psalms of Sorrow (1994), for baritone solo and string quartet^[2]
• Fantasy Variations (1997), for cello and piano
• Sweet Talk (1997), for mezzo-soprano, cello, double bass and piano
• Feast of Fools – Concertino (1998), for bassoon and string quartet
• A Child's Reliquary (2000), for piano trio
• As Night Falls on Barjeantane (2000), for violin and piano
• String Quartet No. 4 –Apparitions (2000), two violins, viola and cello
• Portraits (2001), for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
• String Quartet No. 5 –In Search of "La Vita Nuova" (2004), for two violins, viola and cello
• Troubadour's Feast (2005), for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano
• The Book of Hours (2006), for piano quartet
• Benediction (2007), for two horns, two trumpets, three trombones and chimes
• River of Light (2007), for violin & piano
  • commissioned by theIsaac and Linda Stern Foundation for violinistSarah Chang, who premièred the work on March 18, 2007 inLa Jolla,California.
• Kaddish (2008), for violin solo & string septet^[12]
  • written forConcertante, who premièred the work inHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, on May 15, 2010.
• Remembering Neda (2009), for flute, cello and piano
  • written for the Dolce Suono Ensemble, who premièred the work on October 22, 2010, at the Trinity Center for Urban Life inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania.
• String Quartet No. 6 –Addio (2009)^[13]
  • commissioned by LifeMusic for theYing Quartet, who premièred the work at theHopkins Center,Dartmouth College inHanover, New Hampshire, in October 2009.
• The Faces of Guernica (2009), for piano trio
  • commissioned by theWalter W. Naumburg Foundation for the Trio Cavatina, who premièred the work atCarnegie Hall,New York in May 2010.
• String Quartet No. 7 –Psalms of Solace (2014), for two violins, viola, cello, and soprano soloist
• String Quintet ('A Shattered Vessel'; 2019)^[3]

• Oratio Pauli (1982), for S.A.T.B. choir and string orchestra
• Symphony No. 3 –Journey Without Distance (1990), for soprano solo, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
• Canticle of Peace (1995), for baritone solo, S.A.T.B. choir & chamber orchestra
• An American Requiem (2001), for mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra
• The Passion of Yeshua (2018), for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, 3 baritone soli, S.A.T.B. choir and orchestra

• Symphony No. 2 –Visions (1986), for soprano, tenor soli and orchestra
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 1 (1992), for soprano solo and ensemble
• Songs of the Night (1993), for tenor solo and piano trio
• Sonnets to Orpheus, Book 2 (1994), for baritone solo and ensemble
• String Quartet No. 3 –Psalms of Sorrow (1994), for baritone solo and string quartet
• I Am Not Prey (1996), for soprano and piano duet
• Elegies (1997), for mezzo-soprano, baritone soli and orchestra
• Sweet Talk (1997), for mezzo-soprano solo and small ensemble
• Spirits in the Well (1998), for treble solo and piano
• Portraits (2001), for soprano solo and small ensemble
• Songs of Solitude (2004), for baritone solo and orchestra
• Four Arias fromMargaret Garner (2005), for baritone and piano
• 'He Is By', fromMargaret Garner (2005), for soprano and piano
• Three Arias, from "Margaret Garner" (2005), for mezzo-soprano and piano
• Pastime (2006), for baritone solo and orchestra
• Triptych (2006), for mezzo-soprano and orchestra
• A Woman's Life (2007), for soprano and orchestra
• Three Prayers (2007), for soprano solo and orchestra
• Come Up from the Fields Father (2008) for baritone, viola and piano (text byWalt Whitman)^[14]
  • commissioned by theCurtis Institute,Philadelphia; premièred by Adrian Kramer (baritone),Roberto Díaz (viola) and Mikael Eliasen (piano) at theCurtis Institute on May 15, 2009.
• Songs from an Old War (2009), for baritone and piano
  • written for American baritoneThomas Hampson
• ...Of Love and Longing, for mezzo-soprano and piano (2015)^[15]
• Canti Della Natura, for soprano, cello, and piano (texts byAntonio Vivaldi; 2019)^[3]

• Psalms (1985), for piano
• Sonata (1986), for piano
• The Enchanted Garden (Preludes, Book 1) (1992), for piano
• Mardi Gras (1992), for piano
• Elegy (2003), for piano
• Three Preludes (2003), for piano
• Piano Fantasy: "Wenn Ich Einmal Soll Schneiden" (2008), for piano
• The Enchanted Garden (Preludes, Book 2) (2009), for piano

• G. Schirmer,Biography: Richard Danielpour

• Official website
• University of California Los Angeles page on Richard Danielpour
• Curtis Institute of Music page on Richard Danielpour
• 'Q&A with Composer Richard Danielpour (Part II)'. Curtis Institute of Music, 17 April 2023

• 1956 births
• Living people
• 20th-century American classical composers
• 21st-century American classical composers
• Oberlin College alumni
• New England Conservatory alumni
• American people of Iranian descent
• American people of Iranian-Jewish descent
• Jewish American classical composers
• Manhattan School of Music faculty
• American opera composers
• American male opera composers
• Composers from New York City
• Pupils of Vincent Persichetti
• Classical musicians from New York (state)
• 20th-century American male musicians
• 21st-century American male musicians
• UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music faculty
• 21st-century American Jews

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