Libby Larsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Libby Larsen
Larsen in October 2017
Background information
Born	(1950-12-24) December 24, 1950 (age 74) Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Composer

Libby Larsen (born December 24, 1950) is a famous American composer of classical music. She is known for creating new and exciting pieces. Libby helped start an important group called the American Composers Forum, which supports musicians who write new music. She has also worked closely with big orchestras like the Minnesota Orchestra.

About Libby Larsen

Her Early Life

Libby Larsen was born on December 24, 1950, in Wilmington, Delaware. She was one of five daughters. When she was three years old, Libby and her family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Libby's first musical experiences happened when she was very young. She watched her older sister take piano lessons and then copied what she heard. Her official music lessons began at Christ the King School. There, students sang Gregorian Chant and learned to read music using a method called moveable ‘do’ solfege. This taught her that music could be free and flexible, which was a big idea for her future compositions. Her father also played clarinet in a Dixieland band, and her mother played boogie-woogie music. This gave Libby a wide and very American musical background.

Her Musical Journey

Libby Larsen studied at the University of Minnesota. She earned her first degree in Theory and Composition in 1971. She continued her studies and received a master's degree in 1975 and a PhD in 1978. During her time at university, she learned composition from teachers like Dominick Argento. In 1975, Libby married James Reece, whom she met at school.

In 1973, Libby Larsen and her friend Stephen Paulus started the Minnesota Composers Forum. Their goal was to create a place where new music could be shared and performed for an audience. They also wanted to help composers with business matters, like getting grants or making deals. In 1996, the group changed its name to the American Composers Forum. It now has chapters in many cities across the country, but its main office is still in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1983, Libby Larsen became one of the two composers-in-residence for the Minnesota Orchestra. This was a big deal because she was the first woman to hold this position with a major orchestra. She wrote her first symphony, called Water Music, for the Minnesota Orchestra. It was first performed in 1985. While working with the orchestra, Libby wondered why young people weren't attending classical concerts much. She also noticed that music by non-European composers wasn't often played. This led her to study classical music in America and how it fits into American culture. She explored these ideas in her music and other projects. In 1986, her daughter Wynne was born.

In 1993, Libby organized and became the artistic director of the Hot Notes Series. This series focused on modern keyboard instruments and how performers could interact with electronic sounds. This idea of combining technology with music became important in her later works. One example is her opera Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus (1990). This opera was based on the famous book by Mary Shelley. It used electronic visual effects, like projectors and screens, to show different viewpoints during the show. This opera was Libby's first time exploring technological sound. USA Today even named it one of the eight best classical music events of 1990.

In 1993, she won a Grammy Award for producing "The Art of Arlene Augér." This album featured her song cycle Sonnets from the Portuguese. In 1996, she received special honorary doctorates from St. Mary's College and the University of Nebraska.

Besides being a composer, Libby Larsen is also known for her ideas about music and for giving speeches. She has spoken at many important events, including for the League of American Orchestras. From 2003 to 2004, she held a special position at the Library of Congress, focusing on education and technology. In 2010, Libby Larsen received a George Peabody Medal for her amazing contributions to music in America.

What Influences Her Music

When asked about what inspires her, Libby Larsen said that her teachers have come from unexpected places. She learned from poets, architects, painters, and philosophers. She also learns a lot by reading many different music scores, from rock and roll like Chuck Berry to classical composers like Witold Lutosławski.

Her Musical Style

Libby Larsen's music comes from her own ideas about sound. She finds inspiration in the everyday sounds around her. Her music is known for being "energetic, hopeful, full of different rhythms, and having colorful sounds." It also has a clear, flowing melody without harsh sounds.

She often uses rhythms that come directly from the way Americans speak. She believes that "our own American language has beautiful rhythms in it." She says that the rhythm of American life is the language of her music. Pieces like Holy Roller (which is about a preacher's speech) and Bid Call (which is about auctioneers' patterns) show this style. Libby often composes without using traditional bar lines at first. She prefers to find the natural flow of a musical line and then refine it. This gives many of her pieces a feeling of free, natural rhythm.

Awards and Honors

• 1987 Distinguished Alumni Award (from the University of Minnesota)
• 1988 National Opera Association Production Competition Award, “Christina Romana”
• 1989 American Center for International Leadership—US/USSR Emerging Leaders Summit
• 1992 Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Silver Medal
• 1993 Grammy Award (for producer of Best Classical Vocal Performance for “The Art of Arlene Augér” featuring Larsen’s Sonnets from the Portuguese)
• 1996 Clarion Award, “The Road to Beijing”
• 1996 Gustavus Adolphus Fine Arts Medal
• 1996 Honorary Doctorate, St. Mary’s College/Notre Dame
• 1996 Honorary Doctorate, University of Nebraska
• 2000 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters
• 2001 Distinguished Minnesota Award (from Bemidji State University)
• 2004 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts (from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• 2007 Inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame
• 2010 George Peabody Medal

Selected Works

Operas

• Clair de Lune (1984)
• Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus (1990)
• Barnum’s Bird (2000)
• Dreaming Blue (2000)

Orchestral Music

• Symphony No. 1 “Water Music” (1985)
• Symphony No. 2 “Coming Forth Into Day” (1986)
• Marimba Concerto: After Hampton (1992)
• Ring of Fire (1995)
• Song-Dances to the Light (1995)
• Symphony No. 5: “Solo Symphony” (1999)
• “Still Life with Violin” (2000)
• “Evening in the Palace of Reason” (2008)

Band Music

• Strut (2003)
• An Introduction to the Moon (2005)

Choral Music

• ”Who Cannot Weep Come Learn of Me” (1985)
• Songs of Youth and Pleasure (1986)
• The Settling Years (1988)
• "I Just Lightning" (1994)
• Seven Ghosts (1995)
• Today This Spring (1995)
• "By a Departing Light" (1999)
• Four Valentines: A Lover’s Journey (2000)
• "Jack’s Valentine" (2001)
• "Womanly Song of God" (2003)
• Western Songs (2005)

Vocal Music

• Songs From Letters (1989)
• Sonnets From the Portuguese (1991)
• Love After 1950 (2000)
• Try Me, Good King: Last Words of the Wives of Henry VIII (2000)
• This Unbearable Stillness: Songs from the Balcony (2003)
• Sifting Through the Ruins (2005)

Instrumental Music

• “Four on the Floor” (1984)
• “Dancing Solo” (1994)
• “Slang” (1994)
• Concert Piece for Tuba and Piano (1995)
• “Holy Roller” (1997)
• “Barn Dances” (2001)
• “Bid Call” (2002)
• "Yellow Jersey" (2004)
• “Song Concerto” (2005)
• "Concert Piece for Bassoon and Piano" (2008)

Multimedia Works

• Matineé: The Fantom of the Fair (2014)

Carillon Music

• Pealing Fire (2004)

Featured Recordings

Here are some of the recordings that feature Libby Larsen's music:

• Dreaming Blue

An opera by Libby Larsen about a child moving to a new culture. It features several choirs and orchestras.

• I Just Lightning

Performed by Las Cantantes, The University of New Mexico Women’s Chorus.

• Licorice Stick

Features Katarina Strom-Harg (piano), Stfan Harg (clarinet), Kathleen Roland (soprano), and Asa Johannon (violin).

• Libby Larsen: Symphony no. 4 for Strings; Songs of Light and Love; Songs from Letters

Performed by Benita Valenta (soprano) and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

• Libby Larsen: Deep Summer Music; Concerto for Marimba: “After Hampton”, Symphony no. 5: “Solo Symphony”

Features John Kinzie (marimba) and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

• The Art of Arleen Augér

This recording includes Larsen’s Sonnets from the Portuguese, along with music by other famous composers.

Arleen Augér (soprano) with the Minnesota Orchestra and members of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Won a 1993 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance!

• Missa Gaia “Mass for the Earth”

Performed by Oregon Repertory Singers.

• Grand Larsen-y: Vocal Music of Libby Larsen

Features Benton Hess (piano) and Terry Rhodes (soprano).

• The Eternal Feminine

This recording includes Larsen’s Love After 1950, plus music by other women composers.

Susanne Mentzer (mezzo-soprano) and Craig Rutenberg (piano).

• Journeys: Orchestral Works by American Women

Features Larsen’s Overture--Parachute Dancing 1984, along with music by other American women composers.

Performed by the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and Arioso Chamber Orchestra.