Benary, Barbara

Benary, Barbara, American performer, composer, and ethnomusicologist; b. Bay Shore, N.Y., April 4, 1946. She studied music and theater at Sarah Lawrence Coll. (B.A., 1968) and world music at Wesleyan Univ. (M.A., 1971; Ph.D. 1973). She then taught at Rutgers Univ. (1973–80), and in various private and public elementary schools in N.Y. (1984–94). In 1976 she co-founded and served as artistic director of Gamelan Son of Lion, a new music repertory ensemble for which she composed numerous works. Among her awards are grants from Meet the Composer (from 1979), an NEA Consortium Commissioning grant (1981–82), and an NEA Opera-Music Theater grant (1993); in 1997 she received a commission from the Jerome Foundation. Benary has composed works in essentially two genres: ensemble chamber music and theater scores. The styles are various, but have included process and minimalism in her chamber works and the use of ethnic forms and instruments in both her theater and chamber scores. Her stage works have been composed for and performed by such diverse ensembles as the Hudson Vagabond Puppets, Lenox Arts, N.Y. Shakespeare Festival, Odyssey Theatre, Laurel Pawel Dance Co., and Bali-Java Dance Theatre. Currently, Benary manages a N.Y. music booking agency, Lisa Goodman Ensembles.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: The Only Jealousy of Emer, after Yeats (1966); Three Sisters Who Are Not Sisters, after Gertrude Stein (1970); Kama: A Shadow Puppet Opera (1994). music theater:Javanese Purimspiel (1997–2001). Theater and Dance: Interior Castle (1973); The Moon’s On Fire (1976); Sanguine (1976); St. George and the Dragon (1977); Night Thunks (1980); A New Pantheon, dance drama (1981); Engineering (1981); Mad Damn (1981); The Silly Jellyfish (1981); The Tempest, after Shakespeare (1981); Night Shadow, dance drama (1982); Blind, dance drama (1985); Children’s Ramayana (1987); Mythically Speaking, after Greek Myths (1987); Hopi Myths (1989); Loki and the Hammer: A Norwegian Myth (1990); The Picture of Dorian Gray (1990); The Island of Dr. Moreau (1991). GAMELAN COLLECTION EDS: Systems, a collection of 19 pieces, improvisatory structures for Mixed Ensemble (1973–94) and Gamelan Works, a 4-vol. anthology of new work for Javanese Gamelan Percussion Ensemble (1974–94). OTHER: In Time Enough, chant (1978); Solkattu, Singing Braid, and Moon Cat Chant (1980); Hot-Rolled Steel (1985); Slendro Steel (1992); Gamelan Round Robin (1993); Memorial (1996); Angklung Rag (A Rag for Han) (1996); Lelambatan Meows (1997). Western Instruments: Barang I, II, and IV, solos and duos for Wind Instruments (1975); Exlasega for Concert Band (1980); Parabola for Chamber Ensemble (1981); Four by Four for Marimba Quartet (1986); Sun on Snow for Mixed Ensemble (1985); Downtown Steel for Percussion and Winds (1993); Tintinnalogia, trio for Violin, Piano, and Percussion (1995); Aural Shoehorning for Woodwind, Percussion, and Gamelan (1997). VOCAL: Dhruva Khanda Alankara for Chorus (1971–73); Falling Angels, vocal sextet (1971–73); Moot Cat Chant for Chorus (1971–73); Srutibox Mass for Chorus (1974).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire