Janika Vandervelde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Janika Vandervelde
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Ripon, Wisconsin, U.S.
|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire; University of Minnesota |
| Occupation | Composer; Educator; Pianist |
| Known for | Choral compositions |
|
Notable work
|
O Viridissima Virga, Genesis II, Seven Sevens, Jack and the Beanstalk |
Janika Vandervelde (born in 1955) is an American composer, pianist, and music teacher. She is known for creating music that often explores themes about women and nature. Her work has won many awards. She writes music for orchestras, choirs, and plays, and she also teaches others how to compose.
Contents
About Janika Vandervelde
Janika Vandervelde was born in Ripon, Wisconsin. She grew up nearby in Green Lake. She started playing the horn and piano when she was five years old. She began composing music when she was a teenager.
Her Education and Teaching Career
Janika studied music education at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire. Later, she moved to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. There, she earned an advanced degree in composing music from the University of Minnesota in 1985. Her teachers included famous composers like Dominick Argento and Eric Stokes.
She has taught music at the University of Minnesota School of Music at different times. She also teaches regularly at Hamline University. In addition, she teaches at the Perpich Center for Arts Education. This is a special high school for students interested in the arts in Golden Valley, Minnesota.
Music for Young People
Janika Vandervelde wrote a special program called Music by Kids for Kids. This program teaches young people how to compose music using computers and special keyboards. The American Composers Forum published this program. She also helped lead the Mississippi Valley Chamber Orchestra. She was also the music director at Wesley United Methodist Church in Minneapolis.
Janika's Compositions
Janika Vandervelde is especially famous for her choral music. Choral music is written for choirs to sing. Many groups have asked her to write music for them, and they have performed her works. These groups include Chanticleer and the Dale Warland Singers. Famous conductors like Sir David Willcocks have also performed her music.
Types of Music She Writes
She has composed more than 100 pieces of music. These include works for orchestras, choirs, and small groups of musicians. She has also written music for solo performers. Janika has created two operas: Hildegard (in 1989) and Seven Sevens (in 1993). She has written a lot of music specifically for young audiences.
For three years, she was the composer-in-residence for the Minnesota Chorale and two other groups in the Twin Cities. During this time, she created Adventures of the Black Dot. This is a "choral storybook" for children, which means it tells a story through singing. Judy McGuire wrote the story, and Kari Margolis helped stage it.
Recent Projects and Publishers
Some of her recent projects include choral music for The Student. This was a collaboration with choreographer Vanessa Voskuil. She also created a 65-minute electronic soundscape for Diana Takes a Swim. This project was with dancer Deborah Jinza Thayer.
Janika Vandervelde's music is published by several companies. These include Hothouse Press, earthsongs, Augsburg Fortress, Boosey & Hawkes, and Miela Harmonija.
Awards and Recognition
Janika Vandervelde has received many awards for her work as a composer. She has won several Bush Artist Fellowships and McKnight Foundation Composer Fellowships. These fellowships provide support to artists so they can continue their creative work. She also received the Lili Boulanger Award from The Women's Philharmonic of San Francisco.
