Susan Hurley (composer)

Susan Hurley (born 1946) is an American composer living and working in Los Angeles, California.

Hurley's compositional style is an "unusual, unique voice [and] highly individualistic."^[1] Her work "defines [the] two opposing characteristics of the post-minimalist style – lyricism and rhythmic drive . . .”^[1] The 1992 piece "Gallery Music for Harp" examples this by engaging the listener with "a strong introductory flourish" developing into "gentle, otherworldly sounds.”^[2] This alternation between opposites is observed again in a review of "Vermont Poems" and its harmonic reliance on "shifts between unisons and dissonants" ^[3]

The range of the instruments used by Hurley is broad, including ancient and subtle instruments such as the clavichord and older compositional vehicles such as the chamber opera. Hurley wrote one such opera based on the lives of Anaïs Nin and Rupert Pole. This was commissioned by Joan Palevsky of Los Angeles. Palevsky had been "instrumental" in securing a transfer of the papers of Anaïs Nin to UCLA.^[4] The commission was part of this effort.

Hurley was born in Massachusetts and raised in Vermont.

Education

• American Conservatory, Fontainebleau, France, studied under Nadia Boulanger, and others.
• Eastman School of Music, MM, composition, 1982
• Indiana University’s School of Music, DM, composition, 1988

Work

Professional positions and residencies

• Composer-in-residence, seven years Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, Michigan
• Composer-in-residence, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Lawrence University
• Visiting faculty, “Associate Instructor,” teaching fellowship, Indiana University
• Composer-in-residence, New York, Meet the Composer

Commissions

• Sage City Symphony, Bennington, VT SCS reference
• The New Calliope Singers, New York, NY, details pending
• "Anaïs," a one-act chamber opera for soprano & tenor about the life of Anaïs Nin.^[5]

There are various film scores. The details of these are best obtained through ASCAP.^[6]

Discography, partial

• "Soft Sounds," CD, Omstream, Zehn Improvisitationen, Clavichord, [vor 2004] Aufnahme 2004, P 2005, Deutsche Clavichord Societät, German Clavichord Society reference,Omstream publishers note
• "Wind River Songs," Capstone Records, Nicole Philibosian, soprano, Crispin Campbell, cello, Michael Coonrod, piano publishers note,Society of Composers Listing, Wind River Songs
• "Vermont Poems," Finnadar Records, New Calliope Singers, directed Peter Schubert “10th Anniversary Anthology of New Choral Chamber Music” Finnadar Catalog 908501, publishers note
• "The Audio Book of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," KCRW Studios ^[7]

Publications

• "Grassroots Commissioning," Symphony Magazine, April/May 1984, p. 8
• "Vermont Poems," choral work published by Ludwig Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
• "Visions," choral work published by Ludwig Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

Audio samples

• Sample of The Audio Book of Alices Adventures in Wonderland, with original music by Hurley, KCRW Studios

Work in progress includes

At the time of this writing, April 2008, Hurley is working on an opera of larger scale entitled The Sibyl of Cumae.

Notes

1. Buffalo News , Buffalo, New York, September 1988
2. Lawrence Vittes, LA Reader, January 31, 1992, p. 37
3. Review of Vermont Poems, Susan Hurley, Chorus! Magazine
4. The UCLA Senate obituary for Page Ackerman University Librarian, Emerita, makes reference to Palevsky's effort in paragraph seven of that document. University of California Senate reference
5. Anaïs was privately commissioned by Joan Palevsky, and was performed twice at The American Renegade Theater, Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, February 2002. Composers Forum reference All About Opera reference. Archived January 30, 2004, at the Wayback Machine.
6. Hurely, Susan, ASCAP Catalog Listings CAE/IPI No. 127.06.16.99 ASCAP Publication Listing, Hurley
7. "The Audio Book of Alices Adventures in Wonderland," original music by Susan Hurley, narrated by Harry Shearer with Vinessa Shaw, Michael York, Malcolm McDowell, Elliott Gould, et al. KCRW Production Notes

Biographical references

• "International Encyclopedia of Women Composers," Publisher: Books & Music USA; 2nd edition (June 1987) ISBN 978-0-9617485-2-4
• Composers Forum Biography
• Artist Biography Omstream Publishing