Elizabeth Ogonek

Elizabeth Ogonek (born May 26, 1989 in Anoka, Minnesota, United States) is an American composer of contemporary classical music.

Biography

Ogonek was born in Minnesota and raised in New York City. There she began her studies in the Preparatory Division at the Manhattan School of Music. Ogonek received her BM from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in 2009.[1] After this, she went on to receive her MM from USC Thornton School of Music in 2012.[1] She received her DM from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2015, where she studied with Julian Anderson on a Marshall Scholarship.[2][1] That same year, Ogonek began a three-year term as the Mead composer-in-residence for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with the composer Samuel Adams.[3][4][5][6] Some of her notable compositions include the chamber violin concerto In Silence and the orchestral dance suite All These Lighted Things.[7][8] Ogonek has been Assistant Professor of Composition at Oberlin College and Conservatory (Oberlin Conservatory of Music) since she joined the faculty in 2015.[2][1]

Musical style

Ogonek's music often is led by and has a strong connection with the words and poetry used. This has led her to work with several young writers, including Sophia Veltfort, Ghazal Mosadeq, Ralph Nazareth, and Jonathan Dubow.[1]

Selected works

• Three Pieces: for guitar and narrator
• Three Biographies: song cycle for countertenor and cello; premiered at Wigmore Hall in May 2014.[1]
• The Mysteries of Jacob: An adaption for narrator and clarinet of a play by poet Jonathan Dubow. Premiered at the Royal College of Music in January 2014.[1]
• In Silence: violin concerto
• All These Lighted Things: An orchestral dance suite written for and premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was first premiered by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Riccardo Muti in September 2017.[9]
• Lightenings: A work commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival for Julianne Lee (violin), Romie de Guise-Langlois (clarinet), Alexis Corbin (percussion) and Juho Pohjonen (piano).[9]
• As Though Birds: An orchestral work written in 2013, inspired by her discovery of Félix Fénéon at Tanglewood Music Center, as well as her collaboration with Jonathon Dubow.[10]

References

1. "Elizabeth Ogonek - Oberlin College and Conservatory". Oberlin.edu. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
2. "Elizabeth Ogonek (b?) on Hyperion Records". Hyperion Records. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
3. Armbrust, Doyle (October 1, 2015). "Meet the Chicago Symphony's Newest Composers-in-Residence". Chicago. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
4. Johnson, Lawrence A. (March 8, 2016). "Ogonek's elegant music rises above the din at MusicNOW". Chicago Classical Review. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
5. von Rhein, John (September 29, 2017). "Review: CSO presents a pretty premiere as part of Muti's dervish week of pre-tour activity". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
6. McLaren, Mark (November 6, 2017). "Elizabeth Ogonek Discusses 'Sleep and Unremembrance' Which Debuts With ACO This Week". HuffPost. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
7. Johnson, Lawrence A. (September 29, 2017). "A world premiere and powerful Bruckner from Muti and CSO". Chicago Classical Review. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
8. von Rhein, John (September 29, 2017). "Review: CSO presents a pretty premiere as part of Muti's dervish week of pre-tour activity". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2017.
9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2018-05-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
10. "as though birds (Ogonek) - from LSO5070 - Hyperion Records - MP3 and Lossless downloads". Hyperion-records.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2018.