Chester Biscardi (b. Kenosha, Wisconsin, October 19, 1948; nicknamed Chet) is an

Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, ...

composer and educator. He received a B.A. degree in English literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1970); he studied during 1969–1970 at the University of Bologna and the Conservatorio di Musica "G. B. Martini"; he received an M.A. in Italian literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1972); he received an M.M. in composition from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1974); he received a M.M.A. in composition from Yale University (1976); and he received a D.M.A. in composition from Yale University (1980). His composition instructors have included Les Thimmig,

Mario Davidovsky Mario Davidovsky (March 4, 1934 – August 23, 2019) was an Argentine-American composer. Born in Argentina, he emigrated in 1960 to the United States, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He is best known for his series of compositions ca ...

, Robert Morris,

Yehudi Wyner Yehudi Wyner (born June 1, 1929, in Calgary, Alberta) is an American composer, pianist, conductor and music educator. Life and career Wyner, who grew up in New York City, was raised in a musical family. His father, Lazar Weiner, was an eminent ...

, Krzysztof Penderecki and

Tōru Takemitsu was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental phil ...

. He has been a member of the faculty of

Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Supervision system, Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sara ...

since 1977. He is openly gay. Biscardi's music has been released on the Albany, American Modern Recordings, Bridge, CRI ( New World Records), Furious Artisans, Intim Musik (Sweden), Naxos, New Albion, New Ariel, North/South Recordings, Perfect Enemy Records, and Sept Jardins (Canada) labels.

Selected works

: Works by Biscardi are published by Merion Music, C.F. Peters and Biscardi Music Press. ;Stage * ''Tight-Rope'', Chamber Opera in 9 uninterrupted scenes (1985); libretto by Henry Butler * ''The Duchess of Malfi'', Music for the play by John Webster for 9 instrumentalists and voices (1976) ;Orchestral * ''At the Still Point'' (1977) ;Concertante * ''Chartres'' for solo piano and chamber ensemble (1973) * ''Piano Concerto'' for piano and orchestra (1983) * ''Recognition'' for piano and violin with string orchestra (2004, 2007) ;Chamber music * ''Tartini'' for violin and piano (1972) * ''orpha'' for string quartet, marimba and vibraphone (1974) * ''Tenzone'' for 2 flutes and piano (1975) * ''they had ceased to talk'' for violin, viola, horn and piano (1975) * ''Trio'' for violin, cello and piano (1976) * ''Trasumanar'' for 12 percussionists and piano (1980) * ''Di Vivere'' for clarinet and piano (1981), or for clarinet and piano, with flute, violin and cello (1981) * ''Music for Witch Dance'' for 2 percussionists (1983) * ''Incitation to Desire (Tango)'' for clarinet, horn, violin, cello, percussion and piano (1984, 1993); original for piano solo * ''Incitation to Desire (Tango)'' for marimba solo (1984, 2006); original for piano solo * ''Traverso'' for flute and piano (1987) * ''No Feeling Is the Same As Before'' for soprano saxophone solo (1988) * ''Companion Piece (for Morton Feldman)'' for double bass and piano (1989) * ''Netori'' (音取り) for violin, oboe, horn; horn, clarinet, cello; and piano (1990) * ''Music for an Occasion'' for 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, piano and percussion (1992; revised 2003) * ''Resisting Stillness'' for 2 guitars (1996) * ''Chamber Fanfare'' for flute, violin, cello, percussion and piano (1999) * ''Music for NASDAQ MarketSiteTV'' for flute, horn, violin, cello, percussion and piano (1999) * ''Piano Quintet' for piano and violin, with violin, viola and cello (2004) * ''The Viola Had Suddenly Become a Voice'' for viola and piano (2005) * ''Footfalls (after Beckett)'' for flute, oboe, two guitars, tingsha, violin and violoncello (2012) * ''Footfalls (after Beckett)'' for flute, oboe, piano, violin and violoncello (2012); original for flute, oboe, two guitars, tingsha, violin and violoncello * ''Photo , Pier , Moonlight'' for violin duo (2015; rev. 2016) *''Suddenly Cello'' for violoncello and piano (2005/2020) ;Piano * ''Nel giardinetto della villa'' for piano 4 hands (1994) * ''Companion Piece (for Morton Feldman)'' (1989, 1991) * ''Incitation to Desire (Tango)'' (1984) * ''In Time's Unfolding'' (2000) * ''Piano Sonata'' (1986; revised 1987) * ''Mestiere'' (1979) ;Vocal * ''Turning'' for violin, soprano, and string trio (1973) * ''Trusting Lightness'' for soprano and piano (1975) * ''Chez Vous'' for voice and piano (1983; revised 2007) * ''"Poet's Aria"'' from ''Tight-Rope'' for baritone (or tenor) and piano (1985) * ''The Gift of Life'' for soprano and piano (1990–1993) * ''Baby Song of the Four Winds'' for mezzo-soprano (or soprano) and piano (1994) * ''Guru'' for voice (or voices) and piano (1995) * ''Prayers of Steel'' for baritone and piano (1998) * ''The Child Comes Every Winter'' for voice and piano (1999) * ''Recovering'' for voice and piano (2000) * ''Modern Love Songs'' for voice and piano (1997–2002) :: What a Coincidence :: I Wouldn't Know about That :: Someone New :: Now You See It, Now You Don't :: At Any Given Moment * ''Sailors & Dreamers'' for voice and chamber ensemble / voice and piano (2007-2010) :: You've Been on My Mind :: Play Me a Song :: Seven O'clock at the Cedar (Ode to Kline/de Kooning) :: Do You Remember? :: I Dance the Tango :: Falling Fast :: It's Time to Feel Alright Now * ''Broken Stars That Go Dark'' for voice and piano (2016) ;Choral * ''Heabakes: Five Sapphic Lyrics'' for mixed chorus, 2 solo sopranos, solo alto, and percussion (1974) * ''Indovinello'' for 12 voices (1974) * ''Eurydice'' for women's chorus and 17 instruments (1978) * ''Good-Bye, My Fancy!'' for mixed chorus a cappella and narrator (1982) * ''Mama Never Forgets Her Birds'' from ''The Gift of Life'' for mixed chorus and piano (1997) * ''The Child Comes Every Winter'' for mixed chorus and piano (1999)

References

External links

Chester Biscardi official siteChester Biscardi Papers, 1985-1987
Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
Chester Biscardi's page at Theodore Presser Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Biscardi, Chester 1948 births 20th-century classical composers American people of Italian descent Living people American gay musicians Musicians from Kenosha, Wisconsin Sarah Lawrence College faculty University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni Yale School of Music alumni LGBT classical composers LGBT classical musicians LGBT people from Wisconsin American male classical composers American classical composers Pupils of Mario Davidovsky 20th-century American composers Classical musicians from Wisconsin 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American LGBT people 21st-century American LGBT people