James Harley (born 1959) is a Canadian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, and professor of music born in

Vernon, British Columbia Vernon is a city in the Okanagan region of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is northeast of Vancouver. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped establish the Coldstream Ranch in nearby ...

. His creative output consists of orchestral, chamber, solo, electroacoustic, and vocal music.

Studies

Harley studied at

Western Washington University Western Washington University (WWU or Western) is a public university in Bellingham, Washington. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, succeeding a pri ...

(B.Mus, magna cum laude, 1977–1982),

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

(1983–1985),

Université de Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

(1986–1987),

Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music The Chopin University of Music ( pl, Uniwersytet Muzyczny Fryderyka Chopina, UMFC) is a musical conservatorium and academy located in central Warsaw, Poland. It is the oldest and largest music school in Poland, and one of the largest in Europe.

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

(1987–1988), and

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

(D.Mus., 1988–1994).

Teaching

He has taught at the Faculty of Music at McGill University (1989–1995),

Wilfrid Laurier University Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Brantford and Milton. The newer Brantford and Milton campuses are not considered satellite campuses ...

(1995–1996),

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a private art university in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for students of both ...

(1997),

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

(1997), and

Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has an enrollment of 7,534 students in 2019 and 266 full-time faculty members. MSUM is a part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities s ...

(1999–2004). In 2004, he took up a tenure-track position in music at

University of Guelph , mottoeng = "to learn the reasons of realities" , established = May 8, 1964 ()As constituents: OAC: (1874) Macdonald Institute: (1903) OVC: (1922) , type = Public university , chancellor ...

, where he is associate professor. Harley is also the author of the book ''Xenakis: His Life in Music''. His areas of expertise and specialization include

digital music Digital audio is a representation of sound recorded in, or converted into, digital form. In digital audio, the sound wave of the audio signal is typically encoded as numerical samples in a continuous sequence. For example, in CD audio, samp ...

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

, contemporary music analysis, and history of electronic/computer music. Music and research by James Harley is represented by Art Music Promotion.

List of works

Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

*''Along the Riverrun'' (1983) 10 min. :Version I: 1111/1100/timp/66643 :Version II: strings (20220 concertante/66644 orchestra) *''Overture Divertimento'' (1984) 8 min. 2222/2220/timp/strings *''Windprints'' (1989) 15 min. 2222/4221/3 perc/pf/strings *''Kekula (Memories of a Landscape – III)'' (1992) 15 min. 2222/4221/strings *''N(ouvelle)aissance'' (1994) 16 min. 1202/2000/1 perc/44321 *''Old Rock'' (1996) 10 min. 2222/4221/timp/strings Ensemble *''Sabbath'' (1981) 20 min.

jazz ensemble A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ho ...

saxophones The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...

, 5

trumpets The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard B ...

, 4

trombones The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

electric bass The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck The ...

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 keyboa ...

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

) *''The Tail of Pinky Oozgreen and the Mossbrains'' (1983) 20 min. jazz ensemble (5 saxophones, 5 trumpets, 4 trombones, electric guitar, electric bass, piano, drums) *''Stillness Dancing'' (1983, revised 1984) 10 min. 11 players (1111/1000/1 perc/pf/10111) *''Mobile'' (1984) 18 min. 10 trombones (8 tenors, 2 bass), 2

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

*''Prelude (Under the Thin Rainfall)'' (1985) 7 min.

flute 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 ...

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

, horn,

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

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 ...

*''Tapisse(reve)rie'' (1986) 13 min. 11 players (1111/1110/10111) *''Memories of a Landscape – II'' (1988) 15 min. 13 strings (44221) *''Daring the Wilderness'' (1991) 12 min.

percussion ensemble A percussion ensemble is a musical ensemble consisting of only percussion instruments. Although the term can be used to describe any such group, it commonly refers to groups of classically trained percussionists performing primarily classical m ...

(5 players) *''Etude pour une Fete (Jazz II)'' (1991) 6 min.

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

(or clarinet), trumpet, trombone, cello,

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

, piano *''Neue Bilder (Der Holle Rache)'' (1991) 10 min.

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

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. A ...

, Eb clarinet, trumpet, percussion,

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

, cello, double bass *''Wine of Dragons'' (1993) 7 min. :Version I: Taiko ensemble – 9 performers :Version II (1997): percussion ensemble (9 players) *''Kaleidarray (Jazz III)'' (1994) 15 min. violin/bass violin, clarinet/

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...

, trumpet, Thai gongs,

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

, piano *''Cuimhneachan Urramach'' (1995) 15 min. solo cello and 14 players (1111/1110/1 perc/pf/11111) *''Octane-VX'' (1996) 8 min. flute, oboe, clarinet,

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

, horn, trumpet, trombone, double bass *''Can(y)on'' (1997) 3 min. clarinet, trumpet, vibraphone, marimba, piano, violin, double bass *''bien serré'' (1999) 20 min. jazz ensemble (4 saxophones, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, electric guitar, electric bass, keyboard, drums) *''KappaMusik'' (2002) 13 min. jazz ensemble (4 saxophones, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 electric guitars, drums) *''aXis'' (2006) 12 min. 13 players (1111/1111/11111) *''soundskein'' (2006) 15 min. two

string quartets The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

Chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

*''Images'' (1983) 17 min. flute, vibraphone, violin, viola, cello *''Encounters – II'' (1984) 10 min. percussion duo *''String Quartet'' (1984) 10 min. 2 violins, viola, cello *''Jazz'' (1985) 7 min. saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone) *''Here the Bird'' (1993) 13 min. viola, piano *''Épanoui'' (1995) 12 min. flute, cello, piano *''Tyee'' (1995) 13 min. bass flute and percussion *''Consort: Dances of the Borealis'' (1998) 15 min. two pianos, two percussion *''Cachées'' (2000) 11 min. guitar and cello *''nmaya (Kokopeli II)'' (2002) 12 min. percussion and piano *''TreDue Sextet'' (2010) 10 min. flute, clarinet, marimba/vibraphone, piano, violin,

violoncello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...

. Instrumental *''Exposures'' (1984) 7 min. horn *''Portrait'' (1984) 8 min. flute *''Piano'' (1989) 14 min. piano *''Variations'' (1989) 21 min. piano *''Song for Nobody'' (1990) 8 min. Bb clarinet (alternative version for Bb bass clarinet with extended low register) *''Ma'dhanah'' (1990) 12 min.

Accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

*''flung loose into the stars'' (1995) 10 min. piano *''Exh...'' (1999) 5 min. piccolo *''Édifices (naturels)'' (2001) 10 min. piano *''pLayer8a'' (2007) 5 min.

player piano A player piano (also known as a pianola) is a self-playing piano containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism, that operates the piano action via programmed music recorded on perforated paper or metallic rolls, with more modern i ...

Vocal and choral *''Five Poems by

Richard Brautigan Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935 – c. September 16, 1984) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. A prolific writer, he wrote throughout his life and published ten novels, two collections of short stories, and four bo ...

'' (1981) 8 min.

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

, flute, cello, percussion, piano *''Soft Morning'' (1983) 7 min. (text by James Joyce) soprano solo (alternative version for mezzo-soprano) *''Singing a silence of stone'' (1983) 6 min. (text by e.e. cummings) soprano, harp, 2 percussion *''Two Psalms'' (1986) 14 min. Lullaby (

Psalm 23 Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The Lord is my shepherd". In Latin, it is known by the incipit, "". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a boo ...

), Jubilate Domino (

Psalm 100 Psalm 100 is the 100th psalm in the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew Bible. In English, it is translated as "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands" in the King James Version (KJV), and as "O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands" in the Book ...

) SATB chorus, harp *''Jubilate Domino'' (Psalm 100) SATB chorus, harp *''Reflections on a Prayer of Saint Augustine'' (1987) 13 min. (text in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

from St. Augustine's Confessions, and The Song of Songs) SATB chorus (36 parts, 9 groups) *''one winter after(a flower)noon'' (1987) 8 min. (text by e.e. cummings). soprano, bass clarinet, cello, piano *''Cantico delle Creature'' (1993) 23 min. (text by

St. Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

) mezzo-soprano, choir (SSAATTBB), chamber orchestra (2222/2220/3 perc/piano, celeste/22222), soundfiles *''re: Hallelujah'' (2005) 5.5 min. (text by

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

) soprano and

chamber orchestra Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numbe ...

(1111/1111/perc/piano/11111) Electroacoustic *''Sonnet Sonore'' (1985) 14 min. oboe and stereo electroacoustic *''Voyage'' (1986) 15 min. 4-channel electroacoustic *''Per Foramen Acus Transire'' (1987) 15 min. flute/bass flute and stereo electroacoustic *''Night-flowering ... not even sand – I'' (1989) 12 min. bassoon and electroacoustic *''Night-flowering ... not even sand – II'' (1990) 9 min. stereo electroacoustic *''Spangled'' (1996) 5 min. stereo electroacoustic *''Jardinages – I'' (2000) 6 min. electric guitar and tape *''Jardinages – II'' (2000) 6 min. stereo electroacoustic *''On Frogs'' (2000) 13 min. reciter, interactive electronics (3 players) *''Anasazi: Kokopeli I'' (2001) 11 min. amplified piccolo and electronics *''Xmix'' (2001) 12 min. stereo electroacoustic *''Chaotika'' (2001) 12 min. percussion and interactive electronics *''jem'' (2003) 3 min. 4-channel electroacoustic *''Wild Fruits: Prologue'' (2004) 16 min. 8-channel electroacoustic (alternate version with slides) *''Wild Fruits: Installation'' (2004) open duration keyboard controller, sampler, stereo electroacoustic *''Mashup: Derome vs Oliveros'' (2005) 7 min. stereo electroacoustic *''Wild Fruits 2: like a ragged flock, like pulverized jade'' (2006) 11 min. amplified

alto flute The alto flute is an instrument in the Western concert flute family, the second-highest member below the standard C flute after the uncommon flûte d'amour. It is the third most common member of its family after the standard C flute and the ...

, live electronics, 8-channel electracoustic *''blueBob (Dylan Remix)'' (2006) 5 min. stereo electroacoustic *''Ariel Fragments'' (2007) 17 min. SSSAAA choir, 8-channel electroacoustic *''pLayer8b'' (2008) 5 min. 8-channel electroacoustic *''re:Nude'' (2008) 4.5 min. stereo electroacoustic *''re:Nude:ty'' (2008) 1 min. stereo electroacoustic *''Wild Fruits 3: Chestnuts'' (2008) 13 min. 8-channel electroacoustic *''re:Reckoner'' (2009) 4.5 min. stereo electroacoustic *''Duol'' (2009) 7 min. violin, guitar, soundfiles *''Raindown (MegMix)'' (2009) 4.5 min. stereo electroacoustic Educational music *''Dance Set'' (2009) 8 min. two cellos, Grade 4 level Music theatre *''Scenes From a Theatre on Mars'' (1984) 15 min. (Text: James Harley, adapted from ''

The Last Days of Mankind ''The Last Days of Mankind'' (german: Die letzten Tage der Menschheit) is a satirical play by Karl Kraus. It is considered one of the most important of Kraus's works. One third of the play is drawn from documentary sources and is highly realist ...

'' by Karl Kraus) 2 speaking/acting roles (1 male, 1 female), 2 cl (2nd doubles sax), tp/flugel, vn/vl, vc.

Affiliations

James Harley is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre, and a board member of the Canadian League of Composers. He is also a member of the American Composers Forum, the

Canadian Electroacoustic Community Founded in 1986, La Communauté électroacoustique canadienne / The Canadian Electroacoustic Community (CEC) is Canada's national electroacoustic / computer music / sonic arts organization and is dedicated to promoting this progressive art form i ...

, and the International Computer Music Association.

Selected performers

Arraymusic, Codes d'Accès, Composers' Orchestra, Continuum, Corey Hamm Marc Couroux, ECM, Hammerhead Consort, Kappa, Kore, Kovalis Duo, Duo Vira, Groundswell, Hammerhead Consort, Lafayette String Quartet, McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble, McGill Symphony Orchestra, Elizabeth McNutt, New Music Concerts, Patricia O'Callahan, Oshawa-Durham Symphony, Open Ears Festival,

Penderecki String Quartet The Penderecki String Quartet is a string quartet, founded in 1986, now based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. History The original members of the string quartet started in Poland as the New Szymanowski Quartet. In 1986 they won the Penderecki P ...

, Polish Society for New Music, Brigitte Poulin, Prince George Symphony, Ben Reimer, SMCQ, Transmission, Trio Phoenix, Trio Fibonacci, Alain Trudel, University of Guelph Women's Chamber Choir, Vancouver Bach Choir, Ellen Waterman.

References

External links

Classical Composers Database entry

''Chaotika'' performance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harley, James 1959 births Living people People from Vernon, British Columbia Canadian classical composers 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Electroacoustic music composers Canadian male classical composers 20th-century Canadian composers 20th-century Canadian male musicians 21st-century Canadian male musicians