Rouse, Christopher (Chapman)

Rouse, Christopher (Chapman) , prominent American composer and teacher; b. Baltimore, Feb. 15, 1949. He studied with Richard Hoffmann at the Oberlin (Ohio) Coll. Cons. of Music (B.Mus., 1971). After private lessons with George Crumb (1971–73), he completed his training with Karel Husa at Cornell Univ. (D.M.A., 1977). He taught at the Univ. of Mich. (1978–81) and at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. (from 1981), where he was a prof. (from 1991). While retaining his latter position, he also taught at the Juilliard School in N.Y. (from 1997). In 1985–86 he was composer-in-residence of the Indianapolis Sym. Orch., and then of the Baltimore Sym. Orch. from 1986 to 1989. In 1990 he held a Guggenheim fellowship. In 1993 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Trombone Concerto, and also was awarded the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Music. Rouse first attracted notice in the 1970s with works of a bold and often raucous disposition. By the mid-1980s his works became more introspective in nature and revealed Rouse’s penchant for more traditional forms and harmonies.

Works

ORCH.: The Infernal Machine (1980; Evian, France, May 9, 1981); Gorgon (Rochester, N.Y, Nov. 15, 1984); Double Bass Concerto (1985; Buffalo, Feb. 25, 1988); Phantasmata (1985; St. Louis, Oct. 25, 1986); Phaethon (1986; Philadelphia, Jan. 8, 1987); 2 syms.: No. 1 (1986; Baltimore, Jan. 21, 1988) and No. 2 (1994; Houston, March 2, 1995); Jagannath (1987; Houston, Sept. 22, 1990); Iscariot for Chamber Orch. (St. Paul, Minn., Oct. 28, 1989); Concerto per Corde for Strings (N.Y, Nov. 28, 1990); Trombone Concerto (1991; N.Y, Dec. 30, 1992); Violin Concerto (1991; Aspen, July 12, 1992); Cello Concerto (1992; Los Angeles, Jan. 23, 1994); Flute Concerto (Detroit, Oct. 27, 1994); Envoi (1995; Atlanta, May 9, 1996); Der gerettete Alberich for Percussion and Orch. (1997; Cleveland, Jan. 15, 1998); Seeing for Piano and Orch. (1998; N.Y., May 6, 1999); Concert de Gaudi for Guitar and Orch. (1999; Hamburg, Jan. 2, 2000); Rapture (1999; Pittsburgh, May 5, 2000). CHAMBER: Liber Daemonum for Organ (1980); 2 string quartets (1982; Aspen, Colo., July 23, 1988); Rotae Passionis for Chamber Ensemble (1982; Boston, April 8, 1983); Compline for Chamber Ensemble (N.Y., Dec. 6, 1996). VOCAL: Mitternachtlieder for Baritone and Chamber Ensemble (1979); Karolju for Chorus and Orch. (1990; Baltimore, Nov. 7, 1991); Kabir Padavali for Soprano and Orch. (1997; Minneapolis, Jan. 8, 1999).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire