Arlene Sierra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arlene Sierra
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Arlene Elizabeth Sierra |
| Born | June 1, 1970 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Bridge Records |
| Associated acts | New York Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales |
Arlene Sierra (born June 1, 1970) is an American composer who writes modern classical music. Although she was born in the United States, she now lives and works in London, England. She is known for creating music inspired by nature, science, and even military strategy.
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Early Life and Education
Arlene Sierra grew up in Miami, Florida. She showed a talent for music early on, especially the piano. Her love for music led her to study at some of the best schools in the United States.
She attended the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, Yale University's School of Music, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. At these universities, she learned from famous composers like Martin Bresnick and Michael Daugherty. This intense training helped her develop her own unique style of writing music.
A Career in Music
Sierra's exciting and original music has been noticed by major orchestras and music groups around the world. Famous organizations like the New York Philharmonic and the Seattle Symphony have asked her to write new pieces for them. Her music has been performed by top groups, including the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Tokyo Philharmonic.
Awards and Recognition
Sierra has won several important awards for her work. In 2001, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Takemitsu Prize, a major international award for composers. In 2007, the American Academy of Arts and Letters gave her a Charles Ives Fellowship, praising her music as "urgent, poetic, evocative and witty."
Her albums have also received high praise. In 2014, her orchestral piece Moler was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.
Teaching and Sharing Knowledge
Besides composing, Sierra is also a dedicated teacher. She is a Professor of Composition at Cardiff University School of Music in Wales. There, she helps young composers find their own musical voices and develop their skills.
What Does Her Music Sound Like?
Arlene Sierra's music is often described as a fascinating mix of different ideas. Her compositions are influenced by two main themes: the natural world and human strategy.
Music Inspired by Strategy
Some of her earlier works were inspired by military tactics and game theory. She used ideas from ancient thinkers like Sun Tzu, who wrote The Art of War.
For example, her piece Art of War is a concerto for piano and orchestra that explores ideas of conflict and strategy. Another piece, Ballistae, is named after an ancient Roman war machine.
Music Inspired by Nature
Many of Sierra's most famous pieces draw inspiration from the sounds and patterns of nature. She listens closely to bird songs, insect calls, and other natural processes and turns them into music.
- Butterflies Remember a Mountain (2013): This piece for a piano trio was inspired by the amazing yearly migration of monarch butterflies.
- Urban Birds (2014): This unique work for three pianos, percussion, and electronics imitates the sounds of birds living in a city.
- Nature Symphony (Sierra) (2017): Commissioned by the BBC Philharmonic, this large work for orchestra expands on the ideas from her butterfly trio.
- Bird Symphony (2022): This four-part symphony for the Utah Symphony uses transcribed bird songs to create a beautiful and complex musical journey.
These two interests sometimes come together. Her orchestral work Game of Attrition uses ideas from Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Species to structure the music, showing the struggle for survival in nature.
See also
- List of compositions by Arlene Sierra
Articles and interviews
- 'Contemporary Composer: Arlene Sierra' Whitehouse, Richard, Gramophone, Published July 2024
- 'A Meeting of Strategic Minds: Arlene Sierra's music scores Susan Vencl's dance' Hanover, Muriel, New York Theatre Wire / News Blaze, Published Spring 2018
- 'Unflinching Depictions of Nature – A Conversation with Arlene Sierra Natural Light, Published September 7, 2015
- 'Ten Questions to Arlene Sierra' Sinfini Music, Published April 29, 2014
- 'The Evolution of Process' Gardner, Alexandra, New Music Box Published: May 1, 2013
- 'Composer Arlene Sierra: Process, Strategy, Evolution' Schulslaper, Robert, Fanfare (magazine) Published: October 13, 2011
- 'CompositionToday: Arlene Sierra Interview' Published: November 24, 2009
- 'Contact – by Arlene Sierra' NewMusicBox Published: December 16, 2009
