Libby Larsen

Short bio Libby Larsen

Birthday: 1950 in Wilmington, DE

Active: 1980s - 2010s

Genre: Classical

Period: 20th Century, Contemporary

Full biography Libby Larsen

Libby Larsen is an accomplished and renowned American composer born on December 24, 1950. She has an extensive catalog of works spanning numerous genres, including opera, choral music, orchestral music, and chamber music. She has won numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the musical world, including a Grammy Award in 1993.

Larsen was told in graduate school that she could never write contemporary music for large audiences , but she continued to pursue her passion for composing and creating music. She has since become a co-founder of the American Composers Forum, one of the largest organizations in the country dedicated to promoting contemporary American composers.

One of Larsen's most notable works is "Try Me, Good King" which was written for a graduate level soprano. She is also known for her works "Slang" which features the spoken word, and "Cowboy Songs" which is inspired by traditional American music. Larsen has over 600 pieces of music in her repertoire and is known for her ability to write music that is accessible and enjoyable to a wide range of audiences.

Aside from composing, Larsen is also a teacher and lecturer. She has held teaching positions at several prestigious institutions including the University of Minnesota, the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and the University of California, Davis.

Overall, Libby Larsen is a highly regarded composer who has made a significant impact on the music industry. Her passion and dedication to creating and promoting contemporary American music have earned her numerous accolades and a place in the hearts of music lovers worldwide.

Compositions featuring Libby Larsen

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	White Pieces, for piano	13:34 min	Keyboard	2018
2	Sorrow Song and Jubilee, for string quartet	6:17 min	Chamber Music	2014
3	Full moon in the city, for bassoon & chamber orchestra	14:03 min	Concerto	2013
4	Monk's Oboe, for oboe & string quartet	9:06 min	Chamber Music	2013
5	The Magdalene, for soprano & piano	12:00 min	Vocal Music	2013
6	Blue Piece, for violin & piano	2:46 min	Chamber Music	2010
7	Rodeo Queen of Heaven, for clarinet, violin, cello & piano	9:30 min	Chamber Music	2010
8	Pretty Girl, for soprano & piano ("Flo's Power Ballad" from the opera "Picnic")	5:36 min	Vocal Music	2009
9	Song, for voice	3:16 min	Vocal Music	2009
10	Righty, 1966, for soprano, flute & piano	3:13 min	Vocal Music	2007
11	Prostitute's Aria, for soprano & piano (from the opera "Every Man Jack")	4:27 min	Vocal Music	2006
12	Trio in Four Movements, for flute, viola & harp	14:05 min	Chamber Music	2006
13	Cry Peace, for chorus	3:13 min	Choral	2004
14	Gavel Patter, for 2 pianos & percussion	4:37 min	Chamber Music	2004
15	Ring the Bells, for children's chorus & piano	1:40 min	Choral	2004
16	Slow Structures, for flute, cello & piano	18:19 min	Chamber Music	2004
17	Yellow Jersey, for 2 clarinets	8:09 min	Chamber Music	2004
18	De toda la eternidad, for soprano & piano	15:42 min	Vocal Music	2002
19	Dreaming Blue, one act opera (with children's chorus)		Opera	2002
20	Licorice Stick, for clarinet & piano	6:48 min	Chamber Music	2002
21	Raspberry Island Dreaming, for voice & piano	10:52 min	Vocal Music	2002
22	Barn Dances, for flute, clarinet & piano	12:59 min	Chamber Music	2001
23	Hell's Belles, songs (4) for mezzo-soprano & five octave hand bell choir	13:34 min	Vocal Music	2001
24	Piano Trio	18:24 min	Chamber Music	2001
25	Sonata for viola & piano	19:22 min	Chamber Music	2001
26	Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII, for voice & piano	15:39 min	Vocal Music	2001
27	Sweet and Sour Nursery Rhymes, for chorus & french horn	8:56 min	Choral	2000
28	Adrift! A Little Boat Adrift!	2:32 min	Choral	1999
29	Bind Me - I Still Can Sing	2:20 min	Choral	1999
30	Solo Symphony	27:49 min	Symphony	1999
31	Songs from Letters, for voice & orchestra, No. 1, So Like Your Father	1:39 min	Vocal Music	1999
32	Songs from Letters, for voice & orchestra, No. 2, He Never Misses	1:43 min	Vocal Music	1999
33	Songs from Letters, for voice & orchestra, No. 3, A Man Can Love Two Women	2:44 min	Vocal Music	1999
34	Songs from Letters, for voice & orchestra, No. 4, A Working Woman	3:49 min	Vocal Music	1999
35	Songs from Letters, for voice & orchestra, No. 5, All I Have	3:39 min	Vocal Music	1999
36	Eric Hermannson's Soul, opera		Opera	1998
37	Songs of Light and Love, for soprano & chamber ensemble		Vocal Music	1998
38	Songs of Light and Love, for soprano voice & ensemble, No. 1, Invocation (A Summoning)	3:28 min	Vocal Music	1998
39	Songs of Light and Love, for soprano voice & ensemble, No. 2, The Snow Light (A Rapture)	2:55 min	Vocal Music	1998
40	Songs of Light and Love, for soprano voice & ensemble, No. 3, A Light Left On (A Quietude)	3:16 min	Vocal Music	1998
41	Songs of Light and Love, for soprano voice & ensemble, No. 4, The Fear of Angels (A Beatitude)	3:26 min	Vocal Music	1998
42	Songs of Light and Love, for soprano voice & ensemble, No. 5, Evening Walk in France (A Gymnopedie)	4:26 min	Vocal Music	1998
43	Symphony No. 4 (String Symphony)	23:43 min	Symphony	1998
44	Chanting to Paradise (on poetry of Emily Dickinson), song cycle for soprano & piano	7:05 min	Vocal Music	1997
45	Holy Roller for alto saxophone & piano	10:27 min	Chamber Music	1997
46	Blue Third Pieces, for flute & guitar	7:09 min	Chamber Music	1996
47	Margaret Songs (Three Songs from Willa Cather), for soprano & piano	8:05 min	Vocal Music	1996
48	So Blessedly It Sprung, carol	8:53 min	Choral	1996
49	Ring of Fire	10:39 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1995
50	Symphony No. 3 "Lyric"	22:05 min	Symphony	1995
51	Beloved, Thou Hast Brought Me Many Flowers, song cycle for mezzo-soprano, cello & piano	18:52 min	Vocal Music	1994
52	Slang, for clarinet, violin & piano	10:34 min	Chamber Music	1994
53	Fanfare for the Women, for solo trumpet	2:00 min	Chamber Music	1993
54	Mrs. Dalloway, opera		Opera	1993
55	Marimba Concerto: After Hampton	22:57 min	Concerto	1992
56	Schoenberg, Schenker and Schillinger, for flute, oboe, viola, cello & keyboard	11:30 min	Chamber Music	1991
57	Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, musical drama		Opera	1990
58	When I am an old woman, for voice & piano	2:38 min	Vocal Music	1990
59	Songs from Letters: Calamity Jane to her daughter Janey, 1880-1902, for soprano & piano	13:50 min	Vocal Music	1989
60	Beneath These Alien Stars, for chorus	4:05 min	Choral	1988
61	Aubade for flute	4:58 min	Chamber Music	1987
62	Songs of Youth and Pleasure, for chorus	10:59 min	Choral	1986
63	Up, Where the Air Gets Thin, for cello & double bass	6:30 min	Chamber Music	1985
64	Overture - Parachute Dancing, for orchestra	6:00 min	Orchestral	1984
65	Water Music	18:33 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	1984
66	Deep Summer Music, for orchestra	7:25 min	Orchestral	1983
67	Four on the Floor, for violin, cello, double bass & piano	5:23 min	Chamber Music	1983
68	Black Roller, for ensemble	11:44 min	Chamber Music	1981
69	Corker, for clarinet & percussionist	6:40 min	Chamber Music	1977
70	Jazz Variations, for bassoon	5:46 min	Chamber Music	1977
71	Argyle Sketches, for guitar	6:57 min	Chamber Music	1975
72	Theme and Deviations, for harp	5:28 min	Chamber Music	1973
73	"Take" (There are So Many Things I Want You to have), song for soprano & piano	3:15 min	Vocal Music	-
74	A Lover's Journey, for vocal ensemble	11:53 min	Choral	-
75	A Strange Wild Song, for soprano, baritone & piano	2:43 min	Vocal Music	-
76	Aspects of Glory, 3 essays for organ		Keyboard	-
77	Aubade	5:00 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
78	Bid Call, for saxophone & cello	11:59 min	Chamber Music	-
79	Billy the Kid, for voice & piano (from Cowboy Songs (3))	1:05 min	Vocal Music	-
80	Black Birds, Red Hills, for clarinet, viola & piano	11:02 min	Chamber Music	-
81	Bucking bronco, for voice & piano (from Cowboy Songs (3))	2:22 min	Vocal Music	-
82	Canti brevi, for saxophone & guitar	2:56 min	Chamber Music	-
83	Cowboy songs (3), for voice & piano	6:32 min	Vocal Music	-
84	Dancing Solo, for clarinet	12:54 min	Chamber Music	-
85	Emergence, for string quartet	21:02 min	Chamber Music	-
86	Fantasy on "Slane" for flute & organ	6:17 min	Chamber Music	-
87	Ferlinghetti, for clarinet, viola & piano	19:00 min	Chamber Music	-
88	Hilsen til Kronborg March	2:44 min	Orchestral	-
89	How It Thrills Us for chorus	4:24 min	Choral	-
90	I Will Sing and Raise a Psalm, for choir	4:56 min	Choral	-
91	If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking, for chorus	3:01 min	Choral	-
92	If I Profane With My Unworthiest Hand..., for male chorus	3:32 min	Choral	-
93	In this short Life, for voice & piano	0:58 min	Vocal Music	-
94	Kathleen, As She Was, for oboe & piano	5:46 min	Chamber Music	-
95	Late in the Day, songs for voice & piano	7:09 min	Vocal Music	-
96	Lift me into heaven slowly, for voice & piano (from Cowboy Songs (3))	2:50 min	Vocal Music	-
97	Little Birds, for soprano, mezzo-soprano & piano	3:39 min	Vocal Music	-
98	Love After 50, for voice & piano, Big Sister Says, 1967 (A Honky-Tonk)	2:46 min	Vocal Music	-
99	Love After 50, for voice & piano, Blond Men (A Torch Song)	3:29 min	Vocal Music	-
100	Love After 50, for voice & piano, Boy's Lips (A Blues)	3:07 min	Vocal Music	-
101	Love After 50, for voice & piano, I Make My Magic (Isadora's Dance)	2:46 min	Vocal Music	-
102	Love After 50, for voice & piano, The Empty Song (A Tango)	3:18 min	Vocal Music	-
103	Mephisto Rag, for piano	7:55 min	Keyboard	-
104	Missa Gaia, "Mass for the Earth"	28:00 min	Choral	-
105	Montgomery March	3:03 min	Orchestral	-
106	My Antonia, for voice & piano	17:02 min	Vocal Music	-
107	Now I Pull Silver, for flute & prepared CD	3:34 min	Chamber Music	-
108	Overture for the End of a Century	5:02 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
109	Perineo, for voice & piano	5:09 min	Vocal Music	-
110	Pieces (3) for treble wind & guitar	9:30 min	Chamber Music	-
111	Presto-digital, for saxophone & guitar	2:45 min	Chamber Music	-
112	Reasons for Loving the Harmonica, for chorus & piano	3:15 min	Chamber Music	-
113	Ricochet, for ensemble	1:59 min	Chamber Music	-
114	Ringeltänze, for chorus		Choral	-
115	Sarabande, for guitar	4:54 min	Chamber Music	-
116	Sifting Through the Ruins, for voice & ensemble	17:48 min	Vocal Music	-
117	Sonata in One Movement	7:16 min	Miscellaneous (Classical)	-
118	Song Without Words, for clarinet & piano	8:30 min	Chamber Music	-
119	Sonnets From the Portuguese (6), for voice & chamber ensemble	21:01 min	Vocal Music	-
120	Suite, for piano	6:30 min	Keyboard	-
121	Symphony "Water Music"	18:24 min	Symphony	-
122	The Settling Years, for chorus	11:38 min	Choral	-
123	To a Long Loved Love, for chorus & string quartet	30:09 min	Choral	-
124	URSA, for tuba & wind band (or piano)	12:53 min	Concerto	-
125	Variations on Mice on Parade	7:54 min	Orchestral	-
126	Veni, Creator Spiritus	3:11 min	Keyboard	-
127	What the Monster Saw, for orchestra	11:02 min	Orchestral	-

Albums featuring Libby Larsen

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Clyde Thompson (4), Alyssa Morris, Zsolt Gárdonyi, Robbie McCarthy (2), Libby Larsen, Eduardo Grau, Athenia Trio – Brush Strokes: New Works For Woodwind Trio(CD, Album)	2020	Navona Records
2	Libby Larsen, Tracey Engleman, Lara Bolton – Lift Me Into Heaven Slowly(CD, Album)	2017	Innova Recordings
3	Youmee Kim, Benjamin Lees, James Primosch, Henry Cowell, Libby Larsen – Journey To America: 20th Century American Piano Music(CD, Album)	2017	Centaur Records
4	CanAm Piano Duo, David Maslanka, Libby Larsen, Witold Lutoslawski – This Is The World(CD, )	2012	Albany Records
5	Larsen • Lieuwen • Schickele • Copland, enhakē – Gulfstream (American Chamber Music)(CD, Album)	2011	Naxos
6	Montage Music Society, Matthew Harris (7), Stephen Paulus, Libby Larsen, Andrew List – Starry Night Project: Music Based on Visual Art(CD, )	2009	MSR Classics
7	Paul Sperry, Larsen, Hagen, Moravec, Cipullo – New American Song Cycles(CD, )	2004	Albany Records
8	Kenneth Tse (2) Music By Libby Larsen, William Grant Still, David DeBoor Canfield, John Cheetham, Leonard Mark Lewis, Jay Vosk , & Walter Hartley – An American Exhibition(CD, Album)	2002	Crystal Records (5)
9	Marin Alsop, Libby Larsen – Deep Summer Music / Solo Symphony / Marimba Concerto: After Hampton(CD, Album)	2001	Koch International Classics
10	Verdehr Trio - Beethoven ; Bruch ; Tchaikovsky ; Druckman ; Larsen ; Bolcom – Trio, Op. 6; Trio, Op. 83, Nos. 6 & 7; Meditation; Glint; Slang; Trio For Clarinet, Violin, & Piano(CD, )	2000	Crystal Records (5)
11	Dancing Solo(CD, )	1997	Innova Recordings
12	Libby Larsen - Joel Revzen, The London Symphony Orchestra – Water Music, Parachute Dancing, Lyric Symphony, Ring of Fire(CD, Album)	1997	Koch International Classics
13	Jeffrey Jacob (2), Libby Larsen, Brian Fennelly, Donna Kelly Eastman, Roger Briggs, Marc Rossi, Stephen Kemp – Contemporary American Eclectic Music For The Piano(CD, )	1996	New Ariel Recording
14	Libby Larsen, Stephen Paulus, Oregon Repertory Singers, Gilbert Seeley – Mass For The Earth (Missa Gaia / Echoes Between The Silent Peaks)(CD, )	1995	Koch International Classics
15	Barber, Bernstein, Bloch, Copland, Flagello, Griffes, Herrmann, Larsen, Persichetti, Rozsa, W.G. Still, Ticheli – American Dreams; The American Sampler Volume II(CD, Compilation, Sampler, Stereo)	1995	Koch International Classics
16	Donald Crockett, Stephen Hartke, Libby Larsen, Rand Steiger, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra – Für Wolfgang Amadeus (Tributes To Mozart)(CD, )	1994	Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI)
17	Cleveland Chamber Symphony / Libby Larsen, Salvatore Martirano, Bernard Rands, Roger Reynolds, Edwin London – Sound Encounters(CD, )	1993	GM Recordings
18	Libby Larsen / Stephen Paulus - Minnesota Orchestra, Sir Neville Marriner – Symphony: Water Music / Symphony In 3 Movements (Soliloquy)	1987	Elektra Nonesuch
19	Libby Larsen, Jehan Sadat – Coming Forth Into Day(LP)	1986	Plymouth Music Series
20	Poulenc / Fauré / Larsen - Eugenia Zukerman, Lisa Emenheiser – Music For Flute(LP, Album)	1983	Pro Arte
21	Arleen Auger - Libby Larsen / Henry Purcell / Robert Schumann / W.A. Mozart – The Art Of Arleen Augér(CD, Album, Repress)	-	Koch International Classics
22	Larsen, Janis Hardy, Dan Dressen, Plymouth Festival Chorus And Orchestra, Philip Brunelle – In A Winter Garden (A Choral Work For Advent)(LP)	-	Pro-Arte Digital
23	Susanne Mentzer, Craig Rutenberg, Libby Larsen, Clara Schumann, Rebecca Clarke, Elinor Remick Warren – The Eternal Feminine(CD, )	-	Koch International