Gary Schocker (born October 18, 1959) is an American
flutist
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
, composer, and pianist who has performed with the
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...
(at age 15, in a nationally televised Young People's Concert), the
Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the
Dallas Symphony
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Dallas, Texas. Its principal performing venue is the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas.
History
The orchestra traces its origins to a ...
, the West German Sinfonia, and I Solisti Italiani. He has toured and taught in
Colombia,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Australia, Taiwan, Japan,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, France, and Italy.
Composing
He is the most-published living composer of flute music with over 200 works in print. Flutist
James Galway
Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". He established an international career as a solo flute player. In 2005, he received the Brit Award for Outsta ...
premiered his three-movement concerto ''Green Places'' at Ireland's Adair Festival and has also performed this work with the New Jersey Symphony. In 2015, classical guitarist
Jason Vieaux
Jason Vieaux (born July 17, 1973, in Buffalo, New York) is an American classical guitarist. He began his musical training in Buffalo, New York at the age of eight, after which he continued his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 1992, ...
and harpist
Yolanda Kondonassis commissioned Schocker's "Hypnotized", a five-movement work for guitar and harp which can be heard on their recording, ''Together''.
Schocker has composed
sonatas
Sonata (; Italian: , pl. ''sonate''; from Latin and Italian: ''sonare'' rchaic Italian; replaced in the modern language by ''suonare'' "to sound"), in music, literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cant ...
for
piccolo,
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
,
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
,
bassoon,
clarinet,
horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
, and two pianos, as well as works for flute, many songs, theatrical works, and children's musicals. His musicals, written with Barbara Campbell, include ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' and ''The Awakening'', both of which can be heard on Original Cast Recordings. Both shows were winners of the Global Search for New Musicals in the UK and were performed in Cardiff and at the Edinburgh Festival, as well as in New Zealand. In New York, they were winners of the ASCAP music theatre awards. In 2008 he was commissioned to compose the contest piece, titled ''Biwako Wind'', for the Biwako International Flute Competition.
Performing
As a flutist, Schocker has performed often in Japan and Taiwan. In August 2015, he performed his Concerti ''Green Places'' and ''Hannah's Glade'' at the 17th Japan Flute Convention, where he also performed in recital with pianist Fumi Kuwajima, playing works from their album ''Inside Out'' (2015). He performed at the Taiwan International Flute Festival in 2012, also playing three of his works for flute and orchestra.
Since 2003, Schocker has taught master classes at Holy Cross Monastery in New York which bring together flutists from all over the world. He is on the faculty at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
and teaches privately in New York City and in
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in, and the county seat of, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River, a river that joins the Delaware R ...
. He performs on flutes made by William S. Haynes and Louis Lot. He also plays on headjoints made by David Williams (the Gary Schocker headjoint) and David Chu.
Awards and honors
He won the National Flute Association's Young Artist Competition in 1978, the New York Flute Club's Young Artist Competition in 1980, and the
Young Concert Artists International Auditions
Young Concert Artists is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting the careers of talented young classical musicians from all over the world. The competition, founded in 1961, allows artists from all over ...
in 1985.
Schocker has won the International Clarinet Association's annual composition competition twice and the National Flute Association's annual Newly Published Music Award numerous times.
Discography
Solo
* ''Bach Handel Telemann'' (
Chesky)
* ''Mozart Flute Quartets'' (Chesky)
* ''Flute Forest'' (2004)
* ''Regrets and Resolutions'' (1986)
* ''Airborne'' (2000)
* ''The Awakening'' and ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' (2000)
* ''Healing Music'' (Azica)
* ''Garden in Harp'' (Azica, 2012)
* ''For Dad'' (Azica)
* ''Inside Out'' (
CD Baby, 2015)
Duet
With
Jason Vieaux
Jason Vieaux (born July 17, 1973, in Buffalo, New York) is an American classical guitarist. He began his musical training in Buffalo, New York at the age of eight, after which he continued his studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In 1992, ...
* ''Arioso'' (2004)
* ''Dream Travels'' (2002)
References
External links
Official SiteGary Schocker's page at Theodore Presser Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schocker, Gary
1959 births
Living people
Chesky Records artists