Jane O'Leary Facts for Kids

Jane O'Leary (born October 13, 1946) is a talented musician and composer from the United States. She has been living in Ireland since 1972 and is known for creating amazing music.

About Jane O'Leary
- Jane's Musical Groups and Roles
Jane O'Leary's Compositions
Recordings of Jane O'Leary's Music

About Jane O'Leary

Jane O'Leary, whose maiden name was Strong, was born in Hartford, Connecticut. She was a brilliant student, graduating with the highest honors from Vassar College. She then continued her studies at Princeton University with Milton Babbitt, where she earned a special degree in composing music. After teaching at Swarthmore College for a year, she moved to Ireland in 1972.

Jane O'Leary's music has been played all over the world. Some famous places where her music has been performed in the U.S. include the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Center, the Chicago Cultural Center, and Carnegie Hall.

Jane's Musical Groups and Roles

In 1976, Jane O'Leary started an amazing music group called Concorde. She is the artistic director and pianist for this group. Concorde often performs new and modern music.

In 1981, she also helped create 'Music for Galway', an organization that supports music in Galway. She was the leader of this group from 1984 to 1992. Jane has held many other important positions too. She was on the board of directors for the National Concert Hall in Dublin from 1986 to 1996. She was also a member of the Irish Arts Council from 1998 to 2003. She even led the Contemporary Music Centre in Dublin.

Since 1981, Jane O'Leary has been a member of Aosdána. This is a special group in Ireland for creative artists. Since 2006, she has been teaching people how to compose music at the Dublin Institute of Technology Conservatory of Music and Drama in Dublin. She received the Marten Toonder Award in 1994 and an honorary doctorate from NUI Galway in 2007.

Jane O'Leary's Compositions

Jane O'Leary has written many different types of music. Here are some of her selected works:

Orchestral Music These pieces are written for a large group of instruments, like an orchestra.

From the flatirons (1985)
The petals fall (1987)
Sky of revelation (1989)
Mirrors Imaginings (1991)
Islands of Discovery (1991)
Here, There (and Everywhere) (2002)
Strings alive (2007)

Chamber Music These pieces are for smaller groups of instruments, usually played in a smaller room or "chamber."

Quartet (1969) for clarinet, bass clarinet, violin, cello
Concortet (1979) for flute, violin, cello, harpsichord
String Quartet (1983)
Variations (1984) for flute and piano
Piano Trio (1992)
Silenzio della terra (1993) for flute and percussion
Duo (1994) for violin and cello
Mystic Play of Shadows (1995) for string quartet
Into the Wordless (1998) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano
Why the Hill Sings (2004) for viola and piano
In the Stillness of Time (2004) for string quartet
Piano Quintet (2005)
Sunshowers (2007) for alto flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion
riverrun (2008) for saxophone quartet
in a flurry of whispering (2011) for alto flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, piano
the echo of all that's happened (2014) for alto flute, clarinet & string quartet
The Passing Sound of Forever (2015) for string quartet
as if one (2016) for viola and cello

Solo Instrumental Music These pieces are written for just one instrument.

Piano Piece I (1974)
Piano Piece II (1980)
Reflections (1986) for piano
Forgotten Worlds (1987) for piano
Cartoline dalla Sicilia (1987) for piano
When the Bells Have Stopped Ringing (1989) for piano
Four Pieces for Guitar (1993)
Within/Without (2000) for clarinet
Awakening (2002) for percussion
Breathing Spaces (2010) for piano
No. 19, versions for violin (2012) and viola (2013)
Five Bagatelles (2013) for piano
A Palette of Preludes (2015) for piano

Vocal Music These pieces include singing or speaking voices.

Poem from a Three-Year Old (1976) for soprano, flute, clarinet
Three Voices: Lightning, Peace, Grass (1977) for soprano, oboe, piano
Filled Wine Cup (1982) for mixed choir
A Woman's Beauty (1991) for speaker, flute, percussion, dancer
Dream Songs (1996). Two versions, a) for female choir and piano; b) for female choir and small orchestra
Soundshapes (2006) for voice, alto flute, clarinet, violin
Clara (2013) for speaker, clarinet, bass-clarinet

Recordings of Jane O'Leary's Music

Many of Jane O'Leary's compositions have been recorded and released on CDs. Here are some of them:

Silenzio della Terra, performed by Concorde, on: Contemporary Music from Ireland Vol. 1, Contemporary Music Centre CMC CD01 (CD, 1995).
Silenzio della Terra, Duo, performed by Concorde, on: Celtic Connections, Capstone Records CPS-8640 (CD, 1997).
Four Pieces for Guitar, performed by John Feeley, on: e-motion, Black Box Music BBM 1002 (CD, 2008).
Cartoline dalla Sicilia, performed by Catherine Nardiello (piano), on: Women Composers Vol. I, Catherine Nardiello CN-115 (CD, 2000).
Within/Without, performed by Paul Roe (clarinet), on: Containers (Galway Arts Festival 2000) (CD, 2000).
Mystic Play of Shadows, performed by Quartetto Paul Klee, on: Niccolò NIC 1047 (CD, 2001).
Piano Quartet; a piacere ...; Why the Hill Sings; In the Stillness of Time; something there; Mystic Play of Shadows, performed by ConTempo Quartet, Vanbrugh Quartet, Jane O'Leary (piano), members of Concorde, on: In the Stillness of Time: Music of Jane O'Leary, Capstone Records CPS-8789 (CD, 2007)
Forgotten Worlds, performed by Isabelle O'Connell (piano), on: Reservoir, Diatribe Solo Series DIACDSOL 001 (CD, 2010).
a piacere ..., performed by Paul Roe (clarinet), on: Between, Diatribe Solo Series DIACDSOL 002 (CD, 2010).
Duo, performed by Laura Chislett Jones (flute) and John Feeley (guitar), on: Islands. Contemporary Irish Solo & Instrumental Works for Guitar, Overture Music (no label code) (CD, 2010).
Reflections II, performed by Concorde, on: Reflections, Navona Records NV 5835 (CD, 2010).
Forgotten Worlds, performed by Hugh Tinney, on: RTÉ lyric fm CD 153 (CD, 2016).
A Way Through; No. 19; Murmurs and Echoes; A Winter Sketchbook; ... from hand to hand ...; The Passing Sound of Forever, performed by Andreja Malir (hp), Concorde, RTÉ ConTempo Quartet, on: Navona Records NV 6068 (CD, 2017).

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Jane O'Leary facts for kids

Contents

About Jane O'Leary

Jane's Musical Groups and Roles

Jane O'Leary's Compositions

Recordings of Jane O'Leary's Music