Alvin Singleton

Short bio Alvin Singleton

Birthday: 1940

Genre: Classical

Period: Contemporary

Full biography Alvin Singleton

Alvin Singleton is a renowned American composer who was born on December 28, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York. Singleton started his musical career at a young age, studying composition at New York University and later at Yale University, where he earned his Doctorate in Musical Arts. He is known for his unique and eclectic style, which blends elements of jazz, classical music, and African-American spirituals.

Singleton has written compositions for a variety of ensembles and solo instruments, ranging from orchestra works to chamber music. He has written music for many international music festivals, including the Berlin Festival, Festival di Torino, and Festival Musica Nova-Brazil, and has received numerous awards for his work, including the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis, the Guggenheim Fellowship, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Music Award.

Singleton served as Composer-in-Residence for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert Shaw from 1985-1988, and has also taught at several universities, including the Yale School of Music and the University of Michigan. He is known for his advocacy for new and innovative approaches to music education, particularly for underrepresented communities.

Singleton's unique compositions have been described as bridging genres and cultures, reflecting his personal experiences as an African American musician. He has remarked that his work often deals with issues of power and abuse, and is intended to challenge listeners and prompt questions about society and culture.

Overall, Alvin Singleton is a highly respected and influential figure in contemporary music, known for his creativity, innovation, and commitment to musical excellence.

Compositions featuring Alvin Singleton

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Greed Machine, for vibraphone & piano	6:43 min	Chamber Music	2003
2	Fifty Times Around The Sun, for clarinet & piano	10:11 min	Chamber Music	1999
3	Sing To The Sun, for children's choir, narrator, winds, viola, piano & percussion	16:35 min	Choral	1995
4	BluesKonzert, concerto for piano & orchestra	14:39 min	Concerto	1995
5	Argoru VII, for vibraphone	5:25 min	Chamber Music	1994
6	Between Sisters, for sorpano, alto flute, piano & vibraphone	8:35 min	Vocal Music	1990
7	Argoru VI, for solo marimba	5:48 min	Chamber Music	1988
8	After Fallen Crumbs, for orchestra	6:22 min	Orchestral	1987
9	Shadows, for orchestra	22:13 min	Orchestral	1987
10	Apple, for 4 clarinets	17:57 min	Chamber Music	1984
11	Inside-Out, for piano, 4 hands	18:04 min	Keyboard	1983
12	A Yellow Rose Petal, for orchestra	16:39 min	Orchestral	1982
13	Le tombeau du petit prince, for harpsichord	6:20 min	Keyboard	1978
14	Extnesion of a Dream, for 2 percussionists	20:37 min	Chamber Music	1977
15	Argoru III, for flute	4:23 min	Chamber Music	1971
16	Changing Faces, for piano	1:55 min	Keyboard	1970
17	In Our Own House	6:59 min	Keyboard	-

Albums featuring Alvin Singleton

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Alvin Singleton, Momenta Quartet – Four String Quartets(CD, Album)	2022	New World Records
2	counter)induction - Boyce, Bartlett, Singleton, Meyer, Streber, Tedesco – Against Method(CD, Album)	2020	New Focus Recordings
3	Sweet Chariot(CD, Album)	2014	Albany Records
4	Jennifer Higdon, Alexander Scriabine, Alvin Singleton - Robert Spano, Jennifer Koh, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra And Chorus – The Singing Rooms / The Poem Of Ecstacy / PraiseMaker(CD, )	2010	Telarc
5	Somehow We Can(CD, Album)	2002	Tzadik
6	Shadows / After Fallen Crumbs / A Yellow Rose Petal(CD, Album)	1989	Elektra Nonesuch
7	Alvin Singleton(Cassette, Album, Limited Edition, Stereo)	1989	Elektra Nonesuch