E D W A R D K N I G H T
The music of Edward Knight (born November 4, 1961, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) eschews easy classification, moving freely between jazz, theatrical and concert worlds. Critics call him a "fresh, original voice" with "an inventive sense of humor" (Bernard Holland, The New York Times) who creates music that is "visceral in its excitement" (John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune).
His work -- described as "suave and sinister" (Timothy Mangan, Los Angeles Times) and "inventive and melodic" (Wayne Lee Gay, Knight-Ridder) -- has been performed on five continents by ensembles from the San Francisco Cabaret Opera to the New York Philharmonic to the Dutch-based American Voices, in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to the "Meet in Beijing" Festival to the Hollywood Bowl.
He is composer-in-residence, director of composition and founder of Project 21: Music for the 21st Century at Oklahoma City University. OCU's 2013 Faculty Member of the Year, Knight has created works ranging from fully staged musicals to song cycles to fanfares to sonatas. His music is featured on five commercial recordings, including a solo CD from Albany Records: Where The Sunsets Bleed: Chamber Music of Edward Knight.
He is a voting member of The Recording Academy, which selects the Grammy Awards. An Oklahoma Musician of the Year, Knight is winner of an Aaron Copland Award, the American Art Song Competition and ASCAP's Rudolf Nissim Award for Best New Orchestral Work. He studied privately in New York City with John Corigliano and earned his DMA from University of Texas at Austin. He was the first American to win the Sir Arthur Bliss Memorial Award for outstanding postgraduate composer at the Royal College of Music, where he was a Rotary Foundation Scholar.
He has been awarded fellowships to the Yaddo, MacDowell, Ucross, Brush Creek, and Djerassi colonies and been honored by the Bergen Festival's Morton Gould Memorial and Vienna Modern Masters.
His works are published exclusively by Subito Music, Inc.
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