Short bio Sheila Silver
Full biography Sheila Silver
Sheila Silver is an American composer born on October 3, 1946. She is known for her contribution to the field of contemporary classical music. Only a few composers in any generation enliven the art form with their musical language and herald new directions in music , and Sheila Silver is one of them. She studied at New England Conservatory and received a doctorate from Brandeis University.
She has composed numerous works ranging from opera, concert music to film music. Sheila Silver is admired for her unique style which blends elements of Hindustani music with her Western voice. One of her most notable works is the opera "A Thousand Splendid Suns", with music by Sheila Silver and libretto by Stephen Kitsakos. The opera is an adaptation of the novel by the same name by Khaled Hosseini. The opera premiered in March 2023 at the Seattle Opera and has received critical acclaim for its music and themes.
Sheila Silver's music has been recognized by different groups including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the MacDowell Colony, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Today, she is a Professor of Music at Stony Brook University and has been mentoring aspiring musicians as well. With her unique style and contribution to contemporary classical music, Sheila Silver has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the music world and will continue to do so.
Compositions featuring Sheila Silver
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nocturne for piano | 11:49 min | Keyboard | 2015 |
| 2 | On Loving, 3 songs for Diane Kalish, in memoriam, for voice & piano | 13:38 min | Vocal Music | 2015 |
| 3 | Beauty Intolerable, a songbook based on the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, for 2 sopranos, mezzo-soprano & piano | 67:27 min | Vocal Music | 2013 |
| 4 | Transcending, 3 songs for Michael Dash, in memorium, for baritone & piano | 11:07 min | Vocal Music | 1995 |
| 5 | Piano Concerto | 44:08 min | Concerto | 1993 |
| 6 | To the Sprirt Unconquered, for violin, cello & piano | Chamber Music | 1992 | |
| 7 | Preludes (6) for piano "D'après poèmes de Baudelaire" | 8:02 min | Keyboard | 1991 |
| 8 | Sonata for cello & piano | 27:54 min | Chamber Music | 1988 |
| 9 | Dance Converging, for viola, horn, piano & percussion | 18:07 min | Chamber Music | 1987 |
| 10 | Shirat Sara, symphony for strings | 22:35 min | Symphony | 1985 |
| 11 | Fantasy Quasi Theme and Variations for piano | 6:14 min | Keyboard | 1980 |
| 12 | Canto for baritone & chamber orchestra | Vocal Music | 1979 | |
| 13 | Chariessa, song cycle on fragments from Sappho, for voice & piano | 20:46 min | Vocal Music | 1978 |
| 14 | Dynamis, for solo horn | 7:23 min | Chamber Music | 1978 |
| 15 | Twilight's Last Gleaming, for 2 pianos & percussion | 25:54 min | Chamber Music | - |
Albums featuring Sheila Silver
| # | Сover | Name album | Year | Music label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Aaron Avshalomov, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony, Sheila Silver, Jan Meyerowitz, Yoel Levi – Jewish Tone Poems(CD, ) | 2005 | Naxos |
| 2 |  |
Sheila Silver – Alexander Paley, Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Gintaras Rinkevičius – Piano Concerto / Six Preludes For Piano On Poems By Baudelaire | 2003 | Naxos |
| 3 |  |
Hale Smith, Sheila Silver, Joel Hoffman – Innerflexions / Sonata For Cello And Piano / Duo For Viola And Piano(CD, Compilation) | 1991 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 4 |  |
Alf Houkom / Karl Kohn (2) / Dennis Riley / Ann Silsbee / Sheila Silver - The Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith (2) – New American Choral Music Vol. II(LP, Album) | 1987 | Gregg Smith Singers Productions |
| 5 |  |
John Anthony Lennon / Sheila Silver – Voices (For String Quartet) / String Quartet(LP) | 1985 | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
| 6 |  |
To The Spirit Unconquered(CD, Stereo) | - | Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI) |
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