Emmanuel Gyimah Labi (born 27 September 1950 in

Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...

) is a Ghanaian composer, conductor, and music professor. He is a graduate of the

Achimota School Achimota School ( /ɑːtʃimoʊtɑː/ ), formerly Prince of Wales College and School at Achimota, later Achimota College, now nicknamed Motown, is a co-educational boarding school located at Achimota in Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana. The school wa ...

and a former conductor of the

National Symphony Orchestra Ghana The National Symphony Orchestra Ghana (NSO Ghana) is the national symphony orchestra of Ghana. NSO Ghana was founded in 1959 by order of Kwame Nkrumah, and established by Philip Gbeho (who had composed the Ghanaian national anthem in 1957), toget ...

. In 1971, Labi became a member of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra, where he played

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

and was also involved in composition. He was a member of the orchestra for six years. During this time, he also studied for a bachelor's degree in music and philosophy at the

University of Ghana The University of Ghana is a public university located in Accra, Ghana. It the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian national public universities. The university was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast in the Br ...

, graduating in 1976. His tutors included Ato Turkson and

Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia (22 June 1921 – 13 March 2019) was a Ghanaian ethnomusicologist and composer. Considered Africa's premier musicologist, during his lifetime, he was called a "living legend" and "easily the most published and bes ...

. After graduation, Labi undertook further musicological study at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...

and the

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

. In 1984, he began lecturing at the

University of Nigeria The University of Nigeria, commonly referred to as UNN, is a federal university located in Nsukka, Enugu State, Eastern part of Nigeria. Founded by Nnamdi Azikiwe in 1955 and formally opened on 7 October 1960, the University of Nigeria has thr ...

and, later, at Mercy College in New York and the University of Ghana. Between 1988 and 1997, Labi was the director of the

. As a composer, his music incorporates indigenous musical practices. He married Mary Margaret Blicharz on 31 August 1985. They have one daughter.

Selected works

Orchestral

* ''Symphony no. 1, "Essi-Ataa"'', Op. 20, (1983–4) * ''Gya Nhyira'' (Baptism by Fire), Op. 26 (1996)

Chamber music

* ''Gentle Winds'', Op. 5, for violin and pianoforte (1973) * ''Tunes of the Fisherfolks'', Op. 10, for octet (1974) * ''Aseda'', Op. 6, for duet (1975) * ''From the Durbar'', Op. 7, for duet (1978) * ''String Quartet no. 1, "At the Immaculate Bee Hive"'' (1982) * ''Visions of Space'', for flute, clarinet and pianoforte (1983) * ''2 Ancient Perspectives'', Op. 24, for tuba (1992) * ''Ancient Perspectives no. 3'', Op. 26, timpani concerto (1993) * ''7 Dialects in African Pianism'' (1986–2011), consisting of: ** ''The Hunters' Song'' (1986) ** ''Lotus'' (1987) ** ''Earthbeats'' (1988) ** ''Lullaby'' (1991) ** ''Tenderly Loving a Rose'' (1993) ** ''Larterian Placid Streams'' (2009) ** ''Romanticism in African Pianism'' (2011)

Publications

* ''Theoretical Issues in African Music: Exploring Resources in Creativity'' (Breitinger, 2003)

References

Ghanaian composers 1950 births Musicians from Accra Living people Alumni of Achimota School Mercy College (New York) faculty {{Ghana-bio-stub