Hodkinson, Sydney P(hillip)

Hodkinson, Sydney P(hillip), Canadian-born American conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Winnipeg, Jan. 17, 1934. He studied composition with Louis Mennini and Bernard Rogers, and conducting with Paul White and Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (M.Mus., 1958). After attending the Seminar in Advanced Musical Studies given by Carter, Sessions, and Babbitt at Princeton Univ. (1960), he studied conducting with Max Rudolf and then completed his training in composition with Bassett, Castiglioni, Finney, and George B. Wilson at the Univ. of Mich. (D.M.A., 1968). From 1970 to 1972 he was music director of the St. Paul (Minn.) Chamber Orch., concurrently serving as artist-in-residence in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He taught at the Univ. of Va. (1958–63), Ohio Univ. (1963–66), and the Univ. of Mich. (1968–73), where he conducted its Contemporary Directions Ensemble. In 1973 he joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music, where he was also conductor of its Musica Nova Ensemble. From 1984 to 1986 he was a visiting prof, at Southern Methodist Univ. in Dallas. In 1971 he received an award from the American Academy and National Inst. of Arts and Letters. He was granted 4 awards from the NEA (1976, 1978,1980, 1984), and in 1978-79 he held a Guggenheim fellowship. In his compositions, he explores modern techniques with pragmatic coherence.

Works

dramatic: Opera: The Swinish Cult (1969–75); The Wall (1980); In the Gallery (1981); Catsman (1985). OTHER: Lament, fable with music for Guitar and 2 Lovers (1962); Taiwa, myth for Actors, Dancers, and Musicians (1965); Vox Populous, active oratorio for 2 Actors, Electronics Technician, 4 Vocal Soloists, and Chorus (1971–72). ORCH.: Diversions for Strings (1964); 6 syms., including: No. 1, Fresco, mural in 5 panels (1965-68; Buffalo, April 26, 1974), No. 3, The Celestial Omnibus (1975), No. 4, Horae Canonica for Soprano, Baritone, Narrator, 2 Choruses, and Orch. (1977–83), No. 5, Sinfonia Concertante, for Chamber Orch. (1980), and No. 6, Sonata quasi una fantasia (1982–83); Caricatures (1966; Dallas, April 5, 1969); Stabile (1970; Milwaukee, Feb. 6, 1972); Valence for Chamber Orch. (1970); Epigrams (1971); Celestial Calendar for Strings (1976); The Edge of the Olde One, chamber concerto (N.Y., May 13, 1977); Bumberboom, scherzo diabolique (Montreal, Nov. 9, 1982); Burning Bell, symphonic poem for Youth Orch. (1985). wind ensemble or band:Litigo for Winds and Percussion (1959); Blocks for Concert Band (1972); Monolith: Megalith VI for Wind Ensemble (1974); Tower for Concert Band (1974; Buffalo, N.Y., Dec. 12, 1976); Cortège: Dirge- Canons for Wind, Brass, and Percussion (1975); Palisade: Megalith VIII for Brass Ensemble and Percussion (1975); Bach Variations for Winds and Percussion (1977; Ann Arbor, Feb. 16, 1979); Echo Preludes for Brass Choir and Cello Obbligato (1983). CHAMBER: Drawings: Set No. 1 for 4 Percussion (I960), Set No. 3 for Clarinet and Drums (1961), Set No. 4 for 3 Percussion (1961), Set No. 6 for Violin, 2 Clarinets, and Bass Clarinet (1965), Set No. 9 for 3 Percussion (1977), and Set No. 10, Cerberus, for 4 Tubas (1977); Mosaic for Brass Quintet (1964); Armistice, truce for Dancers and Musicians (1966); Interplay, histrionic controversy for 4 Musicians (1966; Montreal, July 17, 1967); String Quartet No. 1 for 5 Players (1967); Dissolution of the Serial for Piano and 1 Instrument, with Tape Excerpt (1967); 1 Man’s Meat for Double Bass and Electronic Tape (1970; Los Angeles, Feb. 9, 1972); Double Bass Sonata (1980); Sym. No. 2, Symphonie fantastique, for Organ, Brass, and Percussion (1974–82); String Trio, Alla marcia (1983); Sonata, Das Lebewohl, for Piano Trio (1984); The Steps of Time, elegy for Cello or Trombone, String Quartet, and Percussion (1984); Trauermusik for Trombone or Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1984); keyboard music. VOCAL: Lengeren: Megalith V for Medium Voice and Double Quintet (1973); Daydream for Chorus, Speaker, and Orch. (1974); November Voices for Voice, Speaker, and Small Instrumental Ensemble (1975); Chansons de jadis: 6 Songs of Loneliness for Voice and Orch. (1978–79); choruses; song cycles.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire