Aaron Jay Kernis

Short bio Aaron Jay Kernis

Birthday: 1960 in Philadelphia, PA

Active: 1980s - 2010s

Genre: Classical,New Age

Period: 20th Century, Contemporary

Full biography Aaron Jay Kernis

Aaron Jay Kernis is an acclaimed American composer who has won both the Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award for his work. He was born on January 15, 1960, and is currently a member of the Yale School of Music. Kernis draws artistic inspiration from a variety of sources and has written orchestral , chamber, and vocal music.

Kernis has composed music for a diverse range of performers, including soloists, chamber ensembles, and orchestras. He is particularly known for his violin concerto, which won a Grammy Award, and his symphonies.

Kernis' music is often described as vivid, powerful, and direct, and he is recognized as one of America's most honored composers. His compositions are known for their lyrical melodies, complex harmonies, and innovative use of orchestration.

In addition to his work as a composer, Kernis has also been active as an educator and lecturer. He has held teaching positions at a number of prestigious institutions, including the Manhattan School of Music, the Yale School of Music, and the New England Conservatory of Music.

Overall, Aaron Jay Kernis is an accomplished and versatile composer who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. His work continues to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.

Compositions featuring Aaron Jay Kernis

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Elegy...for Those We Lost, for trumpet & harp	7:07 min	Chamber Music	2021
2	On Hearing Nightbirds at Dusk, for harp	4:03 min	Chamber Music	2021
3	Symphony No. 4 ("Chromelodeon")	29:32 min	Symphony	2018
4	Violin Concerto	32:22 min	Concerto	2017
5	First Club Date, for cello & piano	26:00 min	Chamber Music	2017
6	Soliloquy, for guitar	5:29 min	Chamber Music	2016
7	Remembering the Sea (Se Souvenant de la Mer), for girls' or female chorus & chamber orchestra	23:09 min	Choral	2016
8	String Quartet No. 3 ("River")	37:13 min	Chamber Music	2015
9	Lullaby, version for violin & guitar	9:17 min	Chamber Music	2014
10	Viola Concerto	32:35 min	Concerto	2013
11	Dreamsongs, concerto for cello & chamber orchestra	26:04 min	Concerto	2013
12	Perpetual Chaconne, for clarinet & string quartet	18:28 min	Chamber Music	2011
13	On Distant Shores, for oboe, string quartet & piano		Chamber Music	2011
14	Two Songs: Love and Spirit, for voice & piano	10:28 min	Vocal Music	2011
15	Concerto with Echoes, for orchestra	16:22 min	Concerto	2009
16	Movements (2) (with Bells), for violin & piano	17:43 min	Chamber Music	2007
17	Ballade(e) out of the Blue(s), Superstar Etude No. 3, for piano	9:13 min	Keyboard	2007
18	Playing Monster, for piano	3:14 min	Keyboard	2006
19	Two Awakenings and a Double Lullaby, for voice, guitar, violin & piano	22:40 min	Vocal Music	2006
20	Newly Drawn Sky, for orchestra	17:58 min	Orchestral	2005
21	Ballad, for solo cello & 7 cellos (or piano)	8:46 min	Chamber Music	2004
22	Angel Lullaby, for piano	4:30 min	Keyboard	2004
23	Linda's Waltz, for piano	2:46 min	Keyboard	2003
24	Three Flavors, for piano & orchestra	26:52 min	Concerto	2002
25	Speed Limit Rag, for piano	2:29 min	Keyboard	2001
26	Color Wheel, for orchestra	22:40 min	Concerto	2001
27	Trio in Red, for clarinet, cello & piano	17:15 min	Chamber Music	2001
28	Valentines, for soprano & piano	25:39 min	Vocal Music	2000
29	Concierto de 'Dance Hits', for guitar & chamber orchestra	16:04 min	Concerto	1998
30	String Quartet No. 2 ("musica instrumentalis")	37:24 min	Chamber Music	1998
31	Invisible Mosaic II, for 17 players	20:11 min	Chamber Music	1998
32	I Cannot Dance, O Lord, for chorus	3:36 min	Choral	1998
33	Too Hot Toccata, for orchestra	6:00 min	Orchestral	1996
34	Concerto for violin, guitar & orchestra	30:24 min	Concerto	1996
35	Ecstatic Meditations, for chorus	17:10 min	Choral	1996
36	Air, for violin & piano	11:32 min	Chamber Music	1995
37	Air, version for flute & string quartet	12:01 min	Chamber Music	1995
38	Goblin Market, for narrator & ensemble	46:22 min	Chamber Music	1995
39	Sarabanda in Memoriam, for orchestra	17:40 min	Orchestral	1994
40	100 Greatest Dance Hits for guitar & string quartet	15:35 min	Chamber Music	1993
41	Mozart en Route, for violin, viola & cello	3:29 min	Chamber Music	1991
42	Musica Celestis, for string orchestra	12:27 min	Orchestral	1991
43	Le Quattro Stagioni Dalla Cucina Futurismo	19:44 min	Chamber Music	1991
44	Hymn for accordion		Keyboard	1991
45	Simple Songs, for soprano & piano	20:20 min	Vocal Music	1991
46	Symphony No. 2	26:13 min	Symphony	1991
47	String Quartet No. 1 ("musica celestis")	26:33 min	Chamber Music	1990
48	Brilliant Sky, Infinite Sky, for baritone voice & piano	24:50 min	Vocal Music	1990
49	Before Sleep and Dreams, for piano	23:42 min	Keyboard	1990
50	Symphony in Waves, for orchestra	39:02 min	Symphony	1989
51	Songs of Innocents, for soprano & piano, Book 1	16:32 min	Vocal Music	1989
52	Phantom Polka, for accordion & prerecorded sound	2:51 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1988
53	Teach Me Thy Way O Lord for chorus and organ	4:54 min	Choral	1984
54	America(n) (Day) Dreams, for mezzo-soprano & ensemble	19:40 min	Vocal Music	1984
55	The Blue Animals, for bass voice & chamber orchestra	5:56 min	Vocal Music	1983
56	Morningsongs for baritone and 10 instruments	9:50 min	Vocal Music	1983
57	Nocturne, for soprano & ensemble	5:07 min	Vocal Music	1982
58	Suite in Three Parts for Classical Guitar		Chamber Music	1981
59	Partita for guitar	21:43 min	Chamber Music	1981
60	Meditation (In Memory of John Lennon), for cello & piano	10:04 min	Chamber Music	1981
61	A Dance of Life, for violin	4:05 min	Chamber Music	-
62	Superstar Etude No. 1, for piano	2:55 min	Keyboard	-
63	Air, version for cello & orchestra (created for Truls Mørk)	11:56 min	Chamber Music	-
64	Colored Field, concerto for cello & orchestra (new version created for Truls Mørk)	40:17 min	Concerto	-
65	Colored Field, concerto for English horn and orchestra	41:23 min	Concerto	-
66	Invisible Mosaic III	16:47 min	Orchestral	-
67	Tumbalalaika, for viola & piano	0:55 min	Chamber Music	-
68	Lament & Prayer, for violin & orchestra	25:55 min	Concerto	-
69	Love Scenes, for soprano voice & cello	27:17 min	Vocal Music	-
70	The Wheel, for chorus	6:06 min	Choral	-
71	Songs of Innocents, for soprano & piano, Book 2	14:18 min	Vocal Music	-
72	Stein X Seven for voice & piano		Vocal Music	-
73	Still Movement with Hymn	29:37 min	Chamber Music	-
74	Superstar Etude No. 2, for piano	3:52 min	Keyboard	-

Albums featuring Aaron Jay Kernis

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Aaron Jay Kernis, Marilyn Shrude, Dalit Warshaw, Richard Cornell (2), Martin Kennedy (2), David Liptak, Bowling Green Philharmonia, Emily Freeman Brown, Ioana Galu, Brittany Lasch – The Composer's Voice \| New Music From Bowling Green Volume 8(CD, )	2021	Albany Records
2	Kernis, Piazzolla, Sierra, David Tanenbaum, Coco Trivisonno, Lisa Lee (11), The New Century Chamber Orchestra, Thomas Derthick – Double Echo (New Guitar Concertos From The Americas)(CD, )	2021	Naxos
3	Aaron Jay Kernis, Nashville Symphony, Giancarlo Guerrero – Color Wheel(CD, Album)	2020	Naxos
4	Eric Jacobsen, Valérie Sainte-Agathe, San Francisco Girls Chorus, The Knights (10) With Trinity Youth Chorus, Lisa Bielawa, Colin Jacobsen, Aaron Jay Kernis – My Outstretched Hand(CD, Album)	2019	Supertrain Records
5	Danielpour, Kernis, Schickele, David Shifrin, Miró, Dover, jasper – Spring Forward: Music For Clarinet And String Quartet(CD, Album)	2019	Delos
6	Aaron Jay Kernis - Marina Piccinini, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop – Flute Concerto / Air / Symphony No. 2(CD, Album)	2019	Naxos
7	Kernis, Fine, Elkies, Barker, Coleman, Alice K. Dade – Living Music: New Chamber Music For Flute(CD, Album)	2018	Naxos
8	Aaron Jay Kernis \| Paul Neubauer, Joshua Roman, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Rebecca Miller – Dreamsongs, Three Concertos(CD, )	2018	Signum Classics
9	James Ehnes, James Newton Howard, Aaron Jay Kernis, Bramwell Tovey – Violin Concertos / Stream of Limelight(CD, Album)	2018	Onyx (6)
10	Aaron Jay Kernis, Talise Trevigne, Albany Symphony, David Alan Miller – Simple Songs(CD, Album)	2017	Albany Records
11	Aaron Jay Kernis, Andrew Russo, James Ehnes, Albany Symphony Orchestra, David Alan Miller – Three Flavors(CD, Album)	2015	Naxos
12	Aaron Jay Kernis - Evelyne Luest, Caroline Stinson, Susan Babini, Daedalus Quartet, Contrasts Ensemble – On Distant Shores: Solo And Chamber Music(CD, Album)	2015	Phoenix USA
13	Aaron Jay Kernis, The New Professionals Orchestra, Rebecca Miller, Mary King – Goblin Market(CD, Album)	2011	Signum Classics
14	The Jasper String Quartet, Kernis, Beethoven – The Kernis Project: Beethoven(CD, Album, Stereo)	2011	Sono Luminus
15	Kernis, Liderman, Mackey, Tanenbaum, Plitmann, Strauss, Kernis, Cuarteto Latinoamericano, Conservatory Guitar Ensemble – Awakenings. New American Chamber Music For Guitar(CD, )	2010	Naxos
16	Aaron Jay Kernis - Grant Park Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar – Symphony In Waves: Music Of Aaron Jay Kernis(CD, )	2008	Cedille Records
17	Aaron Jay Kernis - Andrew Russo \| Felix Fan \| David Tanenbaum \| Kashii String Quartet – 100 Greatest Dance Hits(CD, Album)	2007	Black Box
18	Aaron Jay Kernis, Susan Narucki, Donald Berman – Simple Songs - Valentines - Songs Of Innocents	2007	Koch International
19	David Del Tredici, Aaron Jay Kernis / Anthony De Mare – Out Of My Hands(CD, Album)	2005	Koch International Classics
20	Joseph Haydn - Dvořák · Tchaikovsky · Prokofiev · Miaskovsky · Shostakovich · Kernis · Truls Mørk – Cello Concertos(5×CD, Compilation, Box Set, )	2004	Virgin Classics
21	Aaron Jay Kernis - Truls Mørk, Minnesota Orchestra, Eiji Oue – Colored Field - Musica Celestis - Air(CD, Album)	2001	Virgin Classics
22	Aaron Jay Kernis, The Eberli Ensemble – The Four Seasons Of Futurist Cuisine / Before Sleep And Dreams / Air / Meditation(CD, Album)	1999	Phoenix USA
23	The Lark Quartet, Aaron Jay Kernis – The Lark Quartet Plays Aaron Jay Kernis(CD, Album)	1999	Arabesque Recordings
24	Double Concerto For Violin & Guitar / Air For Violin / Lament And Prayer(CD, )	1999	Argo (2)
25	Journée Portes Ouvertes A Lorgerie - 13 Juin 1998(CD, Album, Promo)	1998	MPO
26	Aaron Jay Kernis - City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Hugh Wolff – Second Symphony • Musica Celestis • Invisible Mosaic III	1997	Argo (2)
27	New York Concert Singers Conductor Judith Clurman, Robert Beaser, Aaron Jay Kernis, Stephen Paulus, Simon Sargon, John Schlenck, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Judith Shatin – Divine Grandeur(CD, Album)	1997	New World Records
28	Aaron Jay Kernis, Julie Ann Giacobassi, The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Alasdair Neale, Pamela Frank, Paul Neubauer, Carter Brey, Christopher O'Riley – Colored Field \| Still Movement With Hymn	1996	Argo (2)
29	100 Greatest Dance Hits(CD, Enhanced)	1996	New Albion
30	Aaron Jay Kernis, The Lark Quartet, New York Chamber Symphony, Gerard Schwarz – Symphony In Waves / String Quartet ('Musica Celestis')(CD, Album, Stereo)	1992	Phoenix USA
31	Love Scenes(CD, Album)	1992	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
32	Aaron Jay Kernis, The Lark Quartet, New York Chamber Symphony, Gerard Schwarz – Symphony In Waves / String Quartet ('Musica Celestis')(CD, Album)	1992	Argo (2)