Julia Wolfe

Julia Wolfe

Julia Wolfe (born December 18, 1958) is an American composer. She was born in Philadelphia and works in New York. Wolfe's music is rhythmically vigorous, assertive, and often clangorously dissonant. As a composer associated with the downtown style of new music she is not averse to drawing on rock and minimalism as primary influences. Her music, however, shows a good deal more rhythmic complexity than is generally found in these genres, hence her music can properly be considered and described as postminimalist.

In 1987, Wolfe co-founded Bang on a Can together with composers David Lang and Michael Gordon.

As of 2003, Julia Wolfe is on the composition faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.

Works

Orchestra
Amber Waves of Grain (1988) - 8 minute(s) Orchestration 2(pic).222/432+btbn.1/4perc/hp/str

Cruel Sister (2004) - 35 minute(s) Orchestration str (min 65431)

Tell me everything (1994) - 8 minute(s) Orchestration 111.asx.1/1110/2perc/hp.pf/str (111.asx.1/1110/2perc/hp.pf/amp 2vn, amp va, amp vc, amp db)

The Vermeer Room (1989) - 15 minute(s) Orchestration 1(afl).11(bcl).1/11.btbn.0/2perc/pf/str (fl(afl), ob, cl(bcl), bn, hn, tpt, btbn, 2perc, pf, hp, 2vn, va, vc, db)

Window of Vulnerability (1991) - 9 minute(s) Orchestration 3(2pic).3.3(bcl).2+cbn/4.3.3(btbn).1/timp.4perc/hp.syn.pf/str

Soloist(s) and Orchestra
My Beautiful Scream (2003) - 25 minute(s) Soloist(s) amplified string quartet Orchestration 3(pic).2+ca.2+bcl.2+cbn/4.3.2+btbn.1/4perc/amp pf.hp.ebgtr/str

Large Ensemble (7 or more players)
Arsenal of Democracy (1993) - 9 minute(s) Orchestration 1(pic).00.ssx+asx+barsx.0/132+btbn.0/bgtr/pf

Girlfriend (1988) - 18 minute(s) Orchestration all instruments amplified: fl(afl,pic), cl(bcl), full-size MIDI kbd with Electric Organ sound, perc, twelve cheap wine glasses (to be stomped on, 2 per player), vn, vc, audio tape with click track

Steam (1995) - 7 minute(s) Orchestration fl, vc, eorg, Harry Partch instruments

Soloist(s) and Large Ensemble (7 or more players)
Accordion Concerto ("True Love") (2005) - 20 minute(s) Soloist(s) Accordion Orchestration 1.1.1(bcl).1/1.1.1.1/perc/hp.pf/str (1.1.1.1.1)

Works for 2-6 Players
Believing (1997) - 9 minute(s) Orchestration amplified sextet

Believing (expanded version) (1997) - 20 minute(s) Orchestration amplified sextet

Close Together (2000) - 18 minute(s) Orchestration cello, percussion, electronic tape

Dark Full Ride (2002) - 18 minute(s) Orchestration four drum sets

Dig Deep Orchestration string quartet

Early That Summer (1993) - 12 minute(s) Orchestration str4t

Four Marys (1991) - 12 minute(s) Orchestration str4t

Lick (1994) - 8 minute(s) Orchestration all instruments amplified: ssx, perc, pf, egtr, vc, db

Mink Stole (1997) - 10 minute(s) Orchestration vn, pf

on seven-star-shoes (1985) - 6 minute(s) Orchestration fl(pic), ob, cl(bcl), bn, hn

Solo Keyboard(s)
6 Pianos Orchestration 6 pf

Compassion (2001) - 7 minute(s) Orchestration piano

Earring (2001) - 2 minute(s) Orchestration piano

East Broadway (1996) Orchestration toy piano, toy boombox

my lips from speaking (1993) - 13 minute(s) Orchestration 6 pianos

Other
Democracy (1999) - 15 minute(s) Orchestration electronic tape

Recordings
Julia Wolfe: The String Quartets including artists Ethel, Cassatt String Quartet, and Lark Quartet (2003)
Arsenal of Democracy by Julia Wolfe (1996)
Lost Objects with artists Michael Gordon, David Lang, Roger Epple, Andrew Watts, Daniel Taylor, and Concerto Köln (2001)
Bang on a Can Live, Vol. 1 with artists David Mott, Robert Black, Anna Cholakian, Karl Parens, and Andrew Sterman (1994)