Alexina Louie facts for kids

Alexina Diane Louie (born July 30, 1949) is a famous Canadian composer. She writes contemporary classical music, which is a type of classical music from our time. Alexina Louie has created music for many different instruments and voices. Her pieces have been played all over the world. She has also won many awards, including the Order of Canada and two Juno Awards.

Early Life and Learning

Alexina Louie was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. She started learning music at a young age. When she was 17, she earned a special diploma in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She then went to the University of British Columbia and got a degree in music history in 1970. Later, in 1974, she finished her master's degree in composing music at the University of California, San Diego.

A Career in Music

While she was studying in Los Angeles, Alexina Louie was part of a music group. She also taught piano, music theory, and how to compose electronic music at colleges. One of her first pieces was an electronic song called Molly, made in 1972. She wanted this electronic music to sound "human," even though it was made with machines.

Piano Music

Alexina Louie has written many pieces for the piano. Some of these include Scenes from a Jade Terrace, Distant Memories, and I Leap Through the Sky With Stars. She also wrote Dragon Bells for a special kind of piano called a "prepared piano." She even composed a Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, which is a big piece for piano and a whole orchestra.

Moving to Toronto and New Works

In 1980, Alexina Louie moved from Los Angeles to Toronto. Soon after, in 1982, she composed a piece called O Magnum Mysterium: In Memoriam Glenn Gould. She also created the opening music for Expo 86 in Vancouver, which was a big world fair. That same year, the Canadian Music Council named her Composer of the Year.

Awards and Recognition

Alexina Louie has won the Juno Award for Best Classical Composition two times. She won in 1989 for her orchestral work Songs of Paradise (from 1984). She won again in 2000 for Shattered Night, Shivering Stars (from 1997). She has also been nominated for many other awards.

Her other orchestral pieces include The Eternal Earth, Music for a Thousand Autumns, and Music for Heaven and Earth.

Chamber Music

Alexina Louie has also composed many pieces for chamber music. This is music for a small group of instruments. Some of her chamber works are The Distant Shore for piano trio, Edges for string quartet, and Music from Night's Edge for piano quintet. She also wrote Riffs for woodwind instruments and Gallery Fanfares, Arias and Interludes.

From 1990 to 2003, Alexina Louie received the SOCAN Concert Music Award multiple times. This award is for the classical composer whose music is performed the most each year.

Film Scores and Operas

Alexina Louie has worked with her husband, Alex Pauk, who is a conductor. They have created music for several films. These include Last Night (1998) and The Five Senses (1999).

She also composed a full-length opera called The Scarlet Princess (1996–2002). This opera is a ghost story based on an old Japanese play. Alexina Louie also created a short, funny mini-opera called Toothpaste (1995). This piece has been shown in many countries. With writer Dan Redican, she also completed Burnt Toast in 2005. This is a series of eight funny mini-operas for television.

Later Works and Honors

In 1996, Alexina Louie received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Calgary. That same year, she was a composer-in-residence at the Canadian Opera Company. In 1999, she won the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music for her work Nightfall.

Her composition Three Fanfares from the Ringing Earth was played at the opening of the new National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Her piece Scenes from a Jade Terrace was performed at the opening of the new Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. In 2006, her work Infinite Sky With Birds was performed for the first time. That year, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

In 2011, Alexina Louie's musical satire Mulroney: The Opera was released. This opera is a funny look at the life of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. In 2013, her piece "Bringing the Tiger Down From the Mountain" was performed in China.

In 2019, Alexina Louie was honored by the Honens International Piano Competition in Calgary. They featured many of her compositions at a special event.

Awards and Achievements

• Canadian Music Council Composer of the Year, 1986
• Juno Award for Best Classical Composition, 1989, 2000
• SOCAN music award, 1990, 1992, 2003
• Honorary doctorate, University of Calgary, 1996
• Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music, 1999
• Order of Ontario, 2001
• Officer of the Order of Canada, 2002
• Molson Prize, Canada Council for the Arts, 2019

See also

• Music of Canada
• List of Canadian composers