Alexandra, Liana

Alexandra, Liana, Romanian composer, pianist, and teacher; b. Bucharest, May 27, 1947. She studied composition at the Ciprian Porumbescu Academy of Music in Bucharest (1965–71), and later attended the summer courses in new music in Darmstadt (1974, 1978, 1980, 1984) and visited the U.S. (1983). In 1971 she joined the faculty of the Bucharest Academy (later Univ.) of Music, where she taught composition, orchestration, and analysis. She also played in a duo with the cellist Serban Nichifor. Her compositions have won many prizes, among them the Union of Romanian Composers prizes (1975, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1988), Gaudeamus Foundation prizes (1979, 1980), the Romanian Academy Prize (1980), the ISCM Prize (1993), and the ACMEOR Prize of Israel (1998).

Works

DRAMATIC: The Snow Queen, children’s opera (1979); The Mermaid, ballet (1982); Chant d’amour de la dame à la licorne, chamber opera (1996). ORCH.: 7 syms. (1971; Hymns, 1978; 1980–81; 1983–84; 1985–86; 1988–89; 1995–96); Valences (1973); Clarinet Concerto (1974); Resonances for Piano and Orch. (1974); Music for Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano, and Orch. (1975); Concerto for Flute, Viola, and Chamber Orch. (1980); Jerusalem, symphonic poem (1990); Concerto for Strings (1991); Concerto for Piano, 4-Hands and Orch. (1993); Concerto for Saxophone and Strings (1997); Pastorale for Wind Orch. (1999). CHAMBER: Sonata for Solo Flute (1973); Lyric Sequence for Clarinet, Trumpet, and Piano (1974); Collages for Brass Quintet (1977); Incantations II for Flute, Viola, Cello, Clarinet, and Piano (1978); Consonances I for 4 Trombones (1978), 77 for Clarinet and Piano (1979), 777 for Organ (1979), IV for Clarinet and Tape (1980), V for Organ (1980), and VI for Harp (1998); Sonata for 6 Horns (1986); Intersections, horn sonata (1989); Cello Sonata (1994); Ancestrale for Flute (1996); 5 Movements for Cello and Piano (1997). VOCAL: Cantata I for Women’s Chorus and Orch. (1971), 77 for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1977), 777 for Chorus and Orch. (1977), and IV for Children’s Chorus and Orch. (1978); 2 Sequences for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1976); Incantations I for Mezzo-soprano, Flute, Percussion, and Harpsichord (1978); Poem for Romania for Soprano and Piano (1994).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire