LARRY THOMAS BELL
Composer and Pianist
73 Hemenway St., apt. 501
Boston, MA 02ll5 E-mail: LarryTBell@gmail.com
(6l7) 262-1775 www.larrybellmusic.com
TEACHING New England Conservatory of Music, 1992—present
EXPERIENCE Chairman of the Theory Department
Division of Preparatory and Continuing Education
Composition Faculty; Counterpoint, Solfège
The Boston Conservatory, 1980—2005
Composition faculty (1980–2005); Piano faculty
Harmony, Solfège, Form & Analysis, Counterpoint
Graduate Seminars: Beethoven String Quartets, The Classical Style,
Music of Mahler, The Music of Richard Strauss
The Juilliard School Pre-College Division, 1979—84
Theory, eight levels; Solfège, eight levels
The Juilliard School, 1976—1977
Assistant to Renée Longy; Solfège, four levels
FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS
Rome Prize Fellowship, American Academy in Rome, 1982—83
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship, 1981—82
Rockefeller Foundation grant to the Study and Conference Center, Bellagio, Italy, 1985
Charles Ives Award, American Academy and National Institute of Arts and Letters, 1977
Norlin Fellowship, MacDowell Colony, 1981
Meet the Composer grants, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1996
National Arts Associate Award, Sigma Alpha Iota, 1986
Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999
American Symphony Orchestra League, 1988
American Music Center grant, 1989
Visiting Artist, American Academy in Rome, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1991, 2002
Marion Freschl Prize in Composition for a song for the female voice, The Juilliard School, 1980
Alexander Gretchaninoff Memorial Prize in Composition, The Juilliard School, 1976
Lado Prize in Composition, The Juilliard School, 1975
BMI Student Composers Award, BMI, 1973
North Carolina State Music Teachers Award, 1972, 1973
EDUCATION
FAAR, American Academy in Rome, Rome, Italy,
Fellow — Post-Doctoral degree in Composition, 1983
D.M.A., The Juilliard School, New York — Composition, 1982
M.M., The Juilliard School — Composition, 1977
B. M., Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina —Composition, 1974
RECORDINGS
The Sentimental Muse: The Sentimental Muse, Song and Dance, Idumea Symphony, Short Symphony for Band, North/South Recordings CD 1031, Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, Jordan Winds, Joel Suben and William Drury conductors, Kathryn Sleeper, bassoonist (2004)
The Book of Moonlight: The Book of Moonlight, In Memory of Roger Sessions, Just As I am, Four Pieces in Familiar Style, Late Night Thoughts on Listening to Mahler's Ninth Symphony, Sleep Song, Ayano Ninomiya, violinist, Larry Bell, pianist, North/South Recordings 1033 (2004)
Reminiscences and Reflections: 12 Preludes and Fugues , Jonathan Bass, pianist, N/S 1032 (2004)
Hansel and Gretel: a Fable for Narrator and Orchestra. New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Zander, conductor and narrator, Zander website (2003)
Sacred Symphonies: Vienna Modern Masters CD 3016,"Music from Six Continents 1993" Radio Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, Szymon Kawalla, conductor (1993)
Piano Sonata, North/South Recordings CD 1007, "New American Romantics" Larry Bell, pianist (1996)
Piano Concerto: Vienna Modern Masters CD 3037, "Music from Six Continents 1997" Russe Philharmonic Orchestra, Tsanko Delibosov,conductor, Larry Bell, pianist (1997)
River of Ponds: The Black Cat, Caprice for solo cello, River of Ponds, Fantasia on an Imaginary Hymn , North/South Recordings CD 1018 (1999) Eric Bartlett, cellist, Robert J. Lurtsema, narrator, Sarah Clarke, violist, Larry Bell, pianist.
Mahler in Blue Light , Barking Dog Records CD 2181, "American Breath," Russell Peterson, saxophonist, Diane Trumaine, 'cellist, Doug Schneider, pianist (2001)
Larry Bell Vocal Music:.The Immortal Beloved (Beethoven), Songs of Time and Eternity (Dickinson), Four Sacred Songs (traditional), and Songs of Innocence and Experience(Blake).Albany Records CD (Troy741); D'Anna Fortunato, mezzo-soprano, Larry Bell, pianist, New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic and Children's Chorus, Benjamin Zander, conductor.
Larry Bell Piano Music: (forthcoming) Miniature Diversions, Revivals, Tala (Piano Sonata no. 2), Chorale Preludes, and Elegy; Larry Bell, pianist.
PERFORMING PIANIST
Solo piano recitalist or guest composer: Aspen Music Festival, Music Today (NYC), Mozarteum (Salzburg), Columbia University, Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Florida State University, Bowdoin College, Community College of Rhode Island, Keene State College, Boston University, University of North Dakota, Arizona State University, University of Arizona (Tucson), Massachusetts College of Art, Boston Conservatory Faculty Artist Series (annual), American Academy in Rome, University of Keele (UK), Foligno (Italy), others.
Composer-in-Residence: Bennington Chamber Music Conference and Composers Forum, U-Mass-Amherst, Tokyo Metro University, Temple University–Japan, Barton College (Wilson, NC), University of Arizona, Hartt School, University of Richmond (VA), Queens College, University of Miami, Woodstock Fringe- American Song/Fest.
SELECTED PERFORMANCES (see website for complete list of works, performances, reviews)
Orchestral: Songs of Innocence and Experience , Boston, Boston Modern Orchestra Project and the NEC Childrens Chorus, Gil Rose, conductor (January 2001); Boston, NEC Youth Philharmonic, Benjamin Zander, conducting (2003); Boston, Symphony Pro-Musica, Mark Churchill, conducting (2004); New Orleans Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus (February 2005)
Piano Concerto , New York, Music Today, Gerard Schwarz conducting; Larry Bell, pianist (November 1989); Boston, NEC Orchestra, Tamara Brooks conducting; Bell, pianist (February 1994); Russe Philarmonic, Russe Bulgaria, Tsanko Delibosov conducting, Bell, pianist
(June 1996)
Sacred Symphonies , Seattle, Seattle Symphony, Christopher Kendall conducting (February 1988); Boston, Symphony Pro Musica, Mark Churchill conducting (May 1992); Bratislava, Slovakia, Bratislava Radio Orchestra, Szymon Kawalla, conducting (February 1992); Christchurch, New Zealand, Da Capo Chamber Orchestra, Mark Hodgkinson conducting (June 1996)
The Idea of Order at Key West , a Double Concerto for Soprano and Violin, New York, Alice Tully Hall, Jorge Mester conducting, Nicholas Mann, violin, Ruth Jacobson, soprano (May 1982)
Continuum for Orchestra , Rome, Italy, Radiotelevisione Italiana, Massimo Pradella conducting (December 1984); Johnson, Vermont Composers Conference, Efrain Guigui conducting (1973)
Idumea Symphony , Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, Jed Gaylin conducting (March 1997)
The Sentimental Muse , a Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra, Kathryn Sleeper, bassoonist, Thomas Sleeper, conductor, University of Miami (April, 1998)
Short Symphony for Band , Boston, Jordan Hall, Jordan Winds, William Drury, conductor (March 1999)
Please see website for more performances.
Chamber Music: Concerto for Oboe and Five Instruments , New York, Speculum Musicae, Stephen Taylor, oboist (April 1989); Salzburg, Oesterreichisches Ensemble für Neue Musik (April 1994)
String Quartet No. 1 , Ravinia Festival, The Juilliard String Quartet, Chicago (June 1976) and New York (May 1976); Cavatina String Quartet, New York (April 1980); Gruppo Musica 900, Rome and Pontino (1983)
Piano Quartet , Boston, Victor Romanul, Scot Woolweaver, Andres Diaz, Janice Webber (February 1992); Boston & New York, Joanna Jenner, Sarah Clarke, Eric Bartlett, Larry Bell (October 1992)
String Quartet No. 2 , Chamber Music Society of Boston (March 1985); New York, Columbia String Quartet (February 1985)
Quintessence , New York, St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble (March 1997)
Fantasia on an Imaginary Hymn for cello and viola , Washington, D.C., Library of Congress, and Juilliard Theater, New York, Joel Krosnick and Samuel Rhodes; and on the Juilliard String Quartet's 1984—1985 season; Rome, Italy, Eric Bartlett and Sarah Clarke (October 1986), Boston and New York (October 1992)
The Black Cat , 92nd St. Y, New York, Longy School, Boston, Larry Bell, Wu Han, Eric Bartlett (1988); Boston, Steven McConnell, Andrès Dìaz, Michael Dewart (1991)
River of Ponds , Boston, Jordan Hall, Andrès Dìaz, cellist, Larry Bell, pianist (February 1994); New York and Rochester, Eastman Theater, Pamela Frame, cellist, Robert Wyrich, pianist (March 1996); Eric Bartlett, cellist, and Larry Bell, pianist (May 1998)
Blues Theme with Variations , Russia, The Moscow Autumn Festival, Elena Ivania and Allysa Smith, pianists (November 1995)
Mahler in Blue Light , Boston, Jordan Hall, Kenneth Radnofsky, alto saxophone, Pamela Frame, cellist, and Larry Bell, pianist (December 1996); WGBH-FM broadcast simultaneous with world-wide web internet live (March 1997); Valencia, Spain (September 1997)
Please see website for other chamber works and performances.
Piano Music : Reminiscences and Reflections , Twelve Preludes and Fugues, Boston, Jordan Hall and New York, Merkin Hall, Sara Davis Buechner, pianist (March and April 1999)
Piano Sonata , Salzburg, Mozarteum, Bell, pianist (April 1994); Tokyo Metro University (Japan) Bell, pianist (March 1996)
Please see website for numerous other performances and other piano works.
PUBLICATIONS
" Musica reservata in Frederic Rzewski's North American Ballads," The Musical Quarterly , Vol. LXXII, No. 4 (1986), 449—458.
[with Andrea Olmstead]
"Some Remarks on the New Tonality," Contemporary Music Review , Vol. 6 part 2 (1992), 43–49.
"A Workbook for Composition," Casa Rustica Publications (1999).
Bell's music is published by Casa Rustica Publications and Ione Press, a division of ECS Publishing.
ORGANIZATIONAL
AFFILIATIONS
Broadcast Music, Incorporated, composer and publisher
American Composers Alliance, former Executive Officer
Sigma Alpha Iota (National Arts Associate)
Pi Kappa Lambda
Society of Fellows of the American Academy in Rome
MacDowell Colony Fellow
REFERENCES
Robert Mann, Violinist and founder, Juilliard String Quartet
Susan Garfield, Director, The Rockefeller Foundation
Gerard Schwarz, Conductor, The Seattle Symphony
John Harbison, Composer
Vincent Persichetti and Renée Longy, The Juilliard School Placement Office