Robert Wendel

Robert Wendel

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1951, Robert Wendel showed an early talent for music as a piano student, however, small hands and a broken left wrist redirected his musical interests towards conducting and composing/arranging when he attended the University of Connecticut[1] double majoring in chemistry and music. While at the university, Robert studied with Hale Smith and privately with Leroy Anderson. He also served as assistant conductor of both the University Of Connecticut Symphony and the New Britain Symphony. After receiving his Master of Arts degree, Robert immersed himself in musical theater for several years before he moved to New York City and became an orchestra member and stand-by conductor at Radio City Music Hall under Don Pippin, and conductor/arranger for Carol Channing[2] and touring with "The Pirates Of Penzance" and "Evita".

In 1990 while still touring with stars and shows, ending up with an international tour and VH-1 telecast as conductor for Harry Connick, Jr., Robert started his own publishing/musical rental business, "Robert Wendel Music." His first major arrangement was "A Classical Christmas Suite" and a steady stream of arrangements and new pops works, as well as lighter and more accessible classical works followed and continues to this day. He has been performed in 14 countries, has had multiple broadcasts, and his work appears on several albums for Telarc, Naxos,[3] ABC Classics, and others. Live performances and broadcasts have included the Cincinnati Pops, New York Pops, Atlanta, Houston, Baltimore, Cleveland, St. Louis, Dallas, Seattle, Flint, National, BBC, Royal Scottish National, Tasmanian, Bochum, Toronto, Edmonton, and many other orchestras, under conductors Erich Kunzel, Steven Reineke, Michael Krajewski, David Charles Abell, John Morris Russell, Enrique Diemecke, Sean O'Boyle, Carl Topilow, and many others.

His work has been featured every December since 2001 on the annual "Flint Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops"[4] telecast on WJRT-TV 12, at a memorial concert for the Challenger astronauts at The Kennedy Space Center, at a concert to honor the Tuskegee Airmen,[5] on the 2006 National Memorial Day Concert to honor the opening of the National World War II Memorial telecast live nationwide on PBS,[6] and in 2009 as part of the Abraham Lincoln tribute, and again in 2011 for Gen. Colin Powell's welcome home to our troops on the National Mall.

As publisher "Robert Wendel Music" represents works by Michael Gilbertson (composer),[7] Tracey Rush, Nancy Bloomer Deussen,[8] Leroy Anderson,[9] Jerry Herman, Christopher Tyler Nickel, and others.

Work

Wendel's music is firmly rooted in tonality, melody, and the more classic pops sound of Leroy Anderson, Robert Russell Bennett, Richard Hayman, and Jack Mason, with influences from Vaughan Williams and Alan Hovhaness. His output is focused on holidays, Americana/patriotic, comedy, and works for children and educational concerts. He has also written for "Cirque de la Symphonie"[10] and for television.[11]

Among his most notable and frequently performed works are his "Classical Christmas Suite" which revisits 5 Christmas Carols as if they were written by 4 classical composers, "Coventry Carol" as if it were written by Vaughan Williams, "Christmas a la Valse", and his originals: "Fanfare For Freedom, " "Commemoration, " and "Ride Of The Headless Horseman." "Fanfare For Freedom" has had the distinction of being the opening selection at the Atlanta Symphony's July 4 concerts for 7 years in a row, and "Commemoration" was featured on a 7 city tour by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops following the 9-11 tragedy.

Works List

In December 2014 Robert Wendel was awarded The American Prize Judge's Special Citation for "Music for Use. Well Crafted, Accessible and Performance-Ready."[12] Robert received The American Prize as one of five "Honored Artists" for 2015.[13]

Orchestral

Vocal

Arrangements

Edited Symphonic Performing Editions

Discography

References

  1. ↑ http://uconnmagazine.uconn.edu/smmr2010/feature4.html
  2. ↑ http://www.nsmt.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=389&Itemid=389
  3. ↑ http://www.naxos.com/person/Robert_Wendel/28472.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/flint/index.ssf/2010/12/its_a_milestone_year_for_the_m.html
  5. ↑ http://daytonperformingarts.org/content.jsp?articleId=2111
  6. ↑ Video on YouTube
  7. ↑ http://michaelgilbertson.net/?page_id=13
  8. ↑ http://www.nancybloomerdeussen.com/compositions.html
  9. ↑ http://www.leroyanderson.com/links.php
  10. ↑ http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2013/dec/14/dont-miss-it-cirque-de-la-symphonie/?print=1
  11. ↑ http://www.splendad.com/ads/show/2806-Walmart-Christmas-Morning-Magic
  12. ↑ http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2014/12/special-judges-citations-to-two.html
  13. ↑ http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-american-prize-announces-five.html
  14. ↑ http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2011/03/finalists-in-choral-orchestral.html
  15. ↑ http://www.thewritehag.com/index2.php?page=Reviews
  16. ↑ http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-11-27/entertainment/os-ppl-review-orlando-philharmonic-ho20101124_1_holiday-concert-holiday-spirits-robert-wendel
  17. ↑ http://www.morgancountycitizen.com/the-madison-morgan-cultural-center-hosts-the-atlanta-symphony-orchestra/
  18. ↑ http://articles.philly.com/2013-12-11/entertainment/45038764_1_christmas-spectacular-philly-pops-pops-festival-chorus
  19. ↑ http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2014/06/composer-finalists-chorus.html
  20. ↑ http://theamericanprize.blogspot.com/2015/10/composer-finalists-choral-music.html
  21. ↑ http://www.schirmer.com/default.aspx?TabId=2419&State_2872=2&composerId_2872=1408

External links

Listening

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