Jennifer Margaret Barker facts for kids

Jennifer Margaret Barker (born May 6, 1965, in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish-American classical composer and pianist. She grew up in Scotland and now teaches music at the University of Delaware in the United States. Her music often gets its ideas from the beautiful landscapes, culture, and old songs of Scotland. Her works have been released by well-known music labels like Naxos Records.

About Jennifer Margaret Barker

Jennifer Margaret Barker grew up in Blanefield, Stirlingshire, Scotland. She first studied how to compose music at the University of Glasgow. Later, she moved to the United States for more studies, learning from famous American composers like Melinda Wagner and George Crumb. She also worked with British composers Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and Judith Weir.

In 2021, Jennifer received a special award called the Delaware Division of the Arts Masters Fellowship. This award recognized her amazing artistic skills and her contributions to the state. She has won many other awards for her compositions, including the Miriam Gideon Prize in 2022 and the Pi Kappa Lambda Chamber Commission in 2018.

Jennifer as a Pianist

Besides composing, Jennifer is also a talented pianist. She studied piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Syracuse University. When she was younger, she won many awards at music festivals in Edinburgh and Glasgow. These included the William Townsend Memorial Senior Medal and several chamber music trophies.

She also learned to play the violin and oboe. Her teachers were principal musicians from famous orchestras like the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Family Connections

Jennifer Margaret Barker has some interesting family connections! Her aunt was Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, a well-known British abstract artist. Jennifer's niece, Peigi Barker, is the voice of Young Merida in the Disney-Pixar movie Brave (2012 film). Her sister-in-law, Eilidh Mackenzie, is a famous Gaelic singer who has performed on some of Jennifer's recordings.

Her Music and Performances

Jennifer Margaret Barker has written many different kinds of music. Her pieces are often performed by orchestras and choirs around the world.

Music for Young Voices

One of Jennifer's most famous pieces is Nollaig. This work is written for a children's chorus and a full symphony orchestra. It has been performed by major orchestras like the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The very first performance of Nollaig was for nearly 10,000 people! A special version of this piece was also created for publication, making it easier for more children's choirs to perform.

She also wrote other pieces for choirs and instruments, such as Harmony of Angels and Ealasaid. Ealasaid was even performed at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Songs and Scottish Inspiration

Jennifer wrote a beautiful set of songs called A Lassie’s Love. This piece is for a soprano singer, flute, and piano, and it uses poems by the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. People have described it as a "haunting journey through a woman’s experience of life and love." The work has been recorded and performed in both Scotland and America. Reviewers have called it "a very beautiful song cycle," showing feelings from a light-hearted young girl to a thoughtful older woman.

Another important piece is Na Trì Peathraichean (The Three Sisters…of Glencoe) for flute and piano. This music tries to capture the feeling of three mountains in the Scottish Highlands. It has been described as "evocative and virtuosic," creating a "vivid landscape of colors and textures." A video of one part of this piece has been watched almost half a million times online!

Piano Works

Jennifer's strong background as a pianist can be heard in her music for the piano. Famous pianists like Martin Jones and Kevin Robert Orr have recorded and performed her solo piano works, including Moana, BuMian, and Geenyoch Ballant. One reviewer said that Geenyoch Ballant was "clearly Barker’s own" unique style, even though it had echoes of other famous composers.

Jennifer also helped create the piano version of a piece by Melinda Wagner, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her music.

Celtic-Inspired Compositions

Some of Jennifer's music has a strong Celtic flavor, inspired by Scottish culture. She has set poems by the Scottish poet Derick Thomson to music. One piece, Geodha, uses material from Thomson's poem Geodha Air Chùl Na Grèine. On one of her CDs, you can hear Thomson himself reading his poem, followed by Jennifer's musical setting of it.

Discography

• Nyvaigs, Composer's Recording Inc./New World Records, CRI862, NWCR862 (2000)
• Geenyoch, Meyer Media MMV01001 (2005)
• Golden Thread, Virginia Children's Chorus (2005)
• 6ixth Sense, Ting-Ting, China (2013)
• Excursions, Meyer Media, MM14028 (2013)
• PnOVA: American Piano Music Series, Volume 2, Mahin Media (2016)
• A Lassie's Love, Meyer Media (2017)
• Living Music, Naxos 8.559831 (2018)
• Almost All-American: 21st Century Works for Clarinet, Albany Records TROY1788 (2019)
• 6-Wire on 57th, Meyer Media MM21045 (2021)
• Contemporary Eclectic Music for the Piano, Volume 22, New Ariel Recordings (2022)
• Transcontinental: Music Without Borders, Meyer Media MM23054 (2024)