David B. Myska, Composer

 

DAVID B. MYSKA

COMPOSER


David Myska's compositions include chamber and orchestral music, electroacoustic music and film and video scores. He has received awards and commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council, Public Broadcasting, Meet-the-Composer, the Canada Council, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and Harvard University. He performs his piano music, and performs and conducts his electroacoustic music. David Myska holds the PhD (1983) in composition from Harvard University where he studied with Leon Kirchner. He has taught at Haverford College and Mills College. In 1987, he joined the Faculty of Music at the University of Western Ontario where he is Associate Professor in the Department of Music Research and Composition, and co-directs the Composition, Electroacoustic Research, and Performance (CEARP) Facility.

Selected Compositions

Orchestra
Chamber
Keyboard
Vocal
Electroacoustic
Film and Video


Selected Compositions

Orchestra

Sinfonia Concertante (2009) 16 min.
2222/222/timpani, percussion/harp/strings

Psyche (2005) 25 min.
4344/433/timpani, percussion/harp/strings(16-14-12-10-8)

Chloris (2001) 30 min.
4344/433/timpani, percussion/harp/strings(16-14-12-10-8)

Zephyrus (1996) 30 min.
4344/4331/timpani, percussion/strings(16-14-12-10-8)

Excursion (1984) 22 min.
Commissioned by the Fromm Music Foundation.

Alluvium (1979) 10 min.
Chamber orchestra.

Chamber

Lynx (2010) 7 min.
Solo guitar.

On the Steps of Mariyinski Palace (2008) 30 min.

Violin, clarinet, piano.

Recorded November 2008 by Annette-Barbara Vogel, William Powell and Jack Behrens.

at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, Canada.
Available at Amazon.com and the CMC Boutique.

 

Five Pieces for Violoncello (2007) 26 min.

Premiered 2008 by Thomas Wiebe.

 

Five Movements in Reflection (2004) 30 min.

Violin, clarinet, harp.

Recorded July 2007 by Mark Menzies, William Powell and Susan Allen

at Roy O. Disney Music Hall, CalArts, Valencia, California.
Available at Amazon.com and the CMC Boutique.

 

Piano Trio #2 (“Scorpion”) (1994) 17 min.

Violin, violoncello, piano.

 

Trio (1989) 10 min.

Clarinet, trumpet, bassoon.


Piano Trio (1988) 25 min.

Violin, violoncello, piano.


Music for Brass and Percussion (1988) 11 min.

French horn, trumpet in E-flat (flügelhorn, B-flat piccolo trumpet), 2 trumpets in B-flat,

trumpet in C, 3 trombones (1 on baritone), bass trombone, tuba, percussion.


Seven Movements in Reflection (1983) 30 min.

Clarinet, violin, harp, piano.


Duo Capriccio (1980) 10 min.

Clarinet, piano.

String Quartet (1978) 14 min.

Trio (1977) 8 min.

Oboe, clarinet and bassoon.


Flutepiece (1975) 6 min.

Solo flute.

Keyboard

Sinfonia Traces (2010) 6 min.
Solo piano.

Elegie - cloches (1998) 16 min.
Yamaha Disklavier piano and MAX software.

Mensural Canons Improvisation Study (1998)
Keyboard/synthesizer study for MAX software.

Little Piece (1989) 5 min.
Solo piano.

Ballade (1982) 13 min.
Solo Piano.
Recorded July 2009 on the collaborative compact disc Magdalene Wood by
Dina Michelson Namer with violist and producer.
Available at Amazon.com and the CMC Boutique.

Vocal

Three Sonnets by William Shakespeare (2004) 18 min.
mezzo-soprano, violoncello    
(Nos. 60, 65 and 98)

How Beautiful On The Mountains (2000) 6 min.
SATB chorus

Psalm 10 (1997) 20 min.

Mezzo soprano, flute, clarinet, harp, synthesizer,viola, 'cello, double bass.


Three Songs on Poems by W.H. Auden (1988) 16 min.

Baritone voice, piano. (arranged for mezzo and piano,1989)


Quartet (1976) 8 min.

(Text by Dylan Thomas)

Soprano, viola and 2 violoncelli.

Electroacoustic

Elegie - cloches (1998) 16 min.
Yamaha Disklavier piano and MAX software.

Mensural Canons Improvisation Study (1998)
Keyboard/synthesizer study for MAX software.

Psalm 10 (1997) 20 min.
Mezzo soprano, flute, clarinet, harp, synthesizer,
viola, 'cello, double bass.

Images (1990-91) 16 min.

Flute and computer MIDI ensemble.


Celebration (1989) 5 min.

MIDI ensemble, 1 player.


Fantasy (1986) 14 min.

Harp and computer MIDI ensemble.


Quilt (1985) 16 min.

Viola with synthesis.


Music for Piano and Chimes (1980) 8 min.

Four channel tape.


Concrete Study (1978) 3 min.

Tape Composition.

Film and Video

Edouard Manet: Painter of Modern Life (1983)

Clarinet, violin, harp, piano.

Film/video documentary.

Commissioned to accompany the 1983 Manet Exhibition at the Louvre and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.


Pissaro: At the Heart of Impressionism (1981)

Flute, violoncello, piano.

Film/video documentary.

Commissioned to accompany the 1981 Pissaro Exhibition at the Museum of Fine Art, Boston.


E-mail the composer: dmyska@uwo.ca


More Links

On The Steps CD information

The American Music Center

The Canadian Music Centre

The University of Western Ontario, Don Wright Faculty of Music