Luna Pearl Woolf facts for kids

Luna Pearl Woolf is a Canadian-American composer, producer, and dramaturg. A dramaturg is someone who helps shape the story for a play or opera. She is known for writing many kinds of music, including operas, music for small groups (chamber music), orchestras, and choirs.

Famous places like Carnegie Hall and the Washington National Opera have hired her to write new music. She has worked with many famous artists, including actor Jeremy Irons, author Cornelia Funke, and cellist Matt Haimovitz.

In 2014, she was one of the first women to receive a special grant from Opera America for female composers.

Personal Life and Education

Luna Pearl Woolf was born in 1973 in Massachusetts. She went to Harvard University and graduated with the highest honors in music composition in 1996. She later earned a Master of Arts degree from Smith College.

Her main music teachers were Mario Davidovsky, Augusta Read Thomas, Lewis Spratlan, and Don Wheelock. She has won several awards for her music.

Her work has also received major award nominations. An album that included her piece Contact was named the #1 Classical Album of the year by Canada's CBC Music. Another album, LUNA PEARL WOOLF: Fire and Flood, was nominated for a GRAMMY Award.

Woolf co-founded a company called Oxingale Productions. She now lives in Montréal, Canada.

Music Companies

Oxingale Records

In 2000, Luna Pearl Woolf and cellist Matt Haimovitz started their own record label called Oxingale Records. It is part of the larger PENTATONE label and helps new artists record and share their music.

Oxingale Music

In 2010, Woolf also started Oxingale Music. This company publishes sheet music for modern composers. It has a large collection of music for string instruments, especially the cello. It features original pieces and new arrangements of famous Jazz and rock songs.

Famous Musical Works

Woolf has written many exciting pieces of music. Here are a few of them.

Number Our Days

This large musical piece is called a "photographic oratorio." It is based on the "Photo of the Day" project by an artist named Jamie Livingston, who took one picture every day of his life. The music tells a story about the need for friendship and finding meaning in life.

It was first performed in New York City in April 2024. One critic said the music was "an accomplished musical composition that comfortably and confidently integrates various styles."

Jacqueline

This is an opera about the famous cellist Jacqueline du Pré. It is written for a soprano (a singer with a high voice) and a cello. The opera was very successful and was nominated for five Dora Awards, which are like the Tony Awards in Canada. A reviewer for The Globe and Mail newspaper called it "an extraordinary piece, one that deserves an unquestioned place in the 21st-century canon."

The Pillar

This opera is based on a book about Bernard Madoff, a man who tricked many people out of their money. The music was first performed in 2016 by The Washington Chorus. Woolf received a grant from Opera America in 2014 to help her create this work.

Angel Heart, a music storybook

This is a children's story told with both words and music. The famous actor Jeremy Irons narrated the story, and the words were written by children's author Cornelia Funke. The New York Times wrote that Woolf's music "add[s] psychological nuances and emotional depth through ever-changing textures."

Selected List of Works

• Number Our Days (2024): A musical piece based on Jamie Livingston's "Photo of the Day" project.
• l'Inconnu.e bouleversant.e (2023): A piece for a solo violin.
• Contact (2021): Music for a string orchestra.
• Jacqueline (2019): An opera about the life of cellist Jacqueline du Pré.
• Act Without Words I (2017): A musical version of a silent play by Samuel Beckett.
• Better Gods (2015): An opera about the last queen of Hawaii, Liliʻuokalani.
• The Pillar (2014): An opera about the life of Bernard Madoff.
• Angel Heart: A Musical Storybook (2011): A story for a narrator and musicians, created with author Cornelia Funke.
• Après Moi, le Déluge (2006): A piece for a solo cello and a choir.

Selected Discography

Woolf's music has been recorded on many albums. Here are some of them.

• 2006 - Après Moi, le Déluge: Features her work for cello and choir.
• 2013 - Angel Heart, a music storybook: The complete recording of her musical story, narrated by Jeremy Irons.
• 2020 - LUNA PEARL WOOLF: Fire and Flood: This album was nominated for a GRAMMY Award and includes several of her important pieces.
• 2021 - PRIMAVERA I the wind: Includes her solo cello piece Diaphanous Grace.
• 2022 - Vagues et ombres: Includes her string ensemble piece Contact.