Edwin Carr (composer) facts for kids
Edwin James Nairn Carr (born August 10, 1926 – died March 27, 2003) was a very important composer of classical music from New Zealand. A composer is someone who writes music. Edwin Carr created many different types of musical pieces, including large orchestral works, ballets, and even operas. He was recognized for his special musical style and for sharing New Zealand's music with people around the world.
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Biography
Edwin Carr was born in Auckland, New Zealand. He went to Otago Boys' High School from 1940 to 1943. After high school, he studied music at Otago University and then at Auckland University College.
In 1948, Edwin traveled to England. He received a special scholarship from the New Zealand Government to study music composition. He learned how to write music at the Guildhall school with a teacher named Benjamin Frankel. While in England, he also worked on many different projects and traveled a lot. He even met another composer, Geoffrey Grey.
Later, in 1954, Edwin received another scholarship. This time, it was from the British Council, which helped him study in Rome, Italy. In Italy, he also worked as the music director for a ballet company. This meant he was in charge of all the music for their dance shows. In 1957, he studied with Carl Orff in Munich, Germany.
Edwin returned to New Zealand in 1958. He spent two years teaching music and composing new pieces. During the 1960s, he lived in both Australia and England. He continued to compose, teach, and study music. He also made several trips back to New Zealand.
From 1973 to 1974, Edwin was given the Mozart Fellowship at the University of Otago. This was a special award for composers. Then, from 1975 to 1976, he taught composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia. He went back to London in 1976, but returned to Australia in 1977 to teach part-time in Sydney.
In 1984, Edwin Carr moved back to Taupō, New Zealand. He continued to write music and sometimes led orchestras as a conductor. From 1991, he lived on Waiheke Island, where he was still very active in creating music.
In 1999, Edwin Carr received a high honor. He was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his great contributions to music. This award recognized his lifetime of work. Edwin Carr passed away at his home on Waiheke Island on March 27, 2003.
Music Works
Edwin Carr wrote a huge number of musical pieces during his life. Here are some examples of the different kinds of music he composed:
- Ballets: He wrote music for dance performances, like "Electra" (1955) and "The Mayors New Coat" (1985).
- Operas: He composed full operas, which are plays set to music. These include "Nastasya" (1972) and "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" (1992).
- Symphonies: He wrote several large orchestral works called symphonies, including Symphony No. 1 (1981), Symphony No. 2 (1983), Symphony No. 3 (1987), and Symphony No. 4 (1991).
- Concertos: These are pieces for a solo instrument with an orchestra. He wrote Piano Concerto No. 1 (1962), Piano Concerto No. 2 (1985), and a Violin Concerto (1995).
- Cantatas: These are vocal pieces, often for singers and an orchestra or choir. Examples include "A Blake Cantata" (1951) and "Song of Solomon" (1986).
- Chamber Music: He also wrote many pieces for smaller groups of instruments, such as String Quartet No. 1 (1954) and Trio for horn, violin and piano (1983).
- Piano Music: Edwin composed many pieces just for the piano, like Piano Sonata No. 1 (1955) and "Eleven Pleasant Pieces for piano" (1992).
- Film Music: He even composed music for the film "Nicholas Nickleby" (1985).
Books
Edwin Carr also wrote a book about his own life. It is called A Life Set to Music (autobiography).
See also
In Spanish: Edwin Carr para niños
