Gregory T.S. Walker facts for kids
Gregory T.S. Walker was born on October 19, 1961. He is an American composer, a musician who writes music. He also plays the violin and the guitar.
In 2000, he received a special award called the Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Mr. Walker has played his music with many big orchestras all over the world.
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About Gregory Walker
Gregory Walker comes from a very musical family. His mother, Helen Walker-Hill, was a music historian. His father, George Walker, was a famous composer who won a Pulitzer Prize.
Gregory Walker studied music at different universities. He earned a master's degree in computer music from the University of California at San Diego. He also received a doctorate in musical composition from the University of Colorado.
Today, Mr. Walker is a professor at the University of Colorado Denver. He teaches music to students there.
His Musical Journey
Gregory Walker is a very talented composer and violinist. In 1987, he earned another master's degree in composition from Mills College. He performed his "Concerto No. 1 for Orchestra and Synthesizer" with an orchestra called the Oakland Sinfonietta.
In 1993, the Colorado Symphony asked Mr. Walker to write a special piece of music. He created "Dream N. the Hood," which is known as the first "rap symphony." This was a new and exciting way to combine classical music with rap.
Performances Around the World
Mr. Walker has performed as a solo musician with many famous orchestras. These include the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony. He has also played with the Colorado Symphony and Poland's Filharmonia Sudecka.
His music has been heard in many places, like Havana, Cuba, and at the Library of Congress in the United States. He has also performed at festivals in England and Ireland, and at Peking University in China.
For 25 years, Gregory Walker was the main violinist, or concertmaster, for the Boulder Philharmonic orchestra.
Multimedia Art and Festivals
Gregory Walker also creates multimedia performances. This means he combines music with other art forms, like video. His work has been shown at festivals like Sonic Circuits International and the New West Electronic Arts & Media Organization Festival (NWEAMO).
He was even featured on the cover of International Musician magazine in April 2007. Currently, he is the Artistic Director of the Colorado NeXt Music Festival.
Musical Works
Here are some of the musical pieces Gregory Walker has composed:
- Kawanakajima for Video Guitar and Chamber Orchestra (2016)
- [glitch] for CyberGuitar and Symphony Orchestra (2013)
- La La, and the Life Goes On for Violin and Piano (2010)
- Looking for the Perfect Planet for Amplified Chorus and Video Sampler (2009)
- danC for Chamber Orchestra (2008)
- The Passion According to St. Toscanini for Quadraphonic Chorus and Orchestra (2003)
- Dreamcatcher for Electronic Violin and Orchestra (2003)
- 1+1+1=3 for Orchestra (2003)
- Magic Man for Amplified Chamber Orchestra (2002)
- mysterium conceptionis immaculatae for Orchestra (2000)
- Bad Rap for Electric Violin and Chamber Orchestra (Lauren Keiser Music Publishing, 1994)
- Like 'Dis for String Quartet/String Orchestra (1987)
- Dream N. the Hood for Rapper and Orchestra (1993)
