Deborah Drattell (born 1956) is an American

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 def ...

. She was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York and started her career in music as a violinist. She has been lauded as "a remarkably original voice" by ''Opera News'' and is noted for her contributions to contemporary classical music. Her compositions have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Tanglewood and Caramoor Music Festivals, and many other groups and venues. She rewrote the role of the villain in ''Nicholas and Alexandra'', Rasputin, from baritone to tenor when

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

expressed interest in singing the role. Early Life and Education Drattell was born in Brooklyn, New York. She developed her musical foundation as a violinist before shifting her focus to composition. She earned a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Chicago, where she studied under Ralph Shapey. Career Opera Her operas include: “Festival of Regrets" (1999): A one-act opera with a libretto by Wendy Wasserstein, premiered at the Glimmerglass Opera and later performed as part of the Central Park trilogy at the New York City Opera. "Lilith" (2001): A full-length opera exploring the biblical figure of Adam's first wife, premiered at the New York City Opera. "Nicholas and Alexandra" (2003): Commissioned by the Los Angeles Opera, this opera featured Plácido Domingo as Rasputin and explored the final days of Russia's Romanov dynasty. "Marina" (2003): A one-act chamber opera based on the life of Russian poet Marina Tsvetaeva, premiered at the D.R.2 Theater in New York City. Orchestral and Chamber Music During her tenure as Composer-in-Residence at the Denver Symphony and the New York City Opera, Drattell composed several notable works, including: "Sorrow is Not Melancholy" (1993): Recorded by the Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz, conductor. Her works have been performed by prestigious ensembles, including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the New Orleans Symphony, and the New York Philharmonic. Additional Roles and Initiatives As Composer-in-Residence at the New York City Opera (1998–2001), Drattell launched the annual "Showcasing American Composers" series to highlight emerging talent, including works by Scott Wheeler. Style and Influence Drattell's compositions are often described as lyrical, dramatic, and emotionally evocative. Critics have noted her ability to fuse traditional operatic elements with modernist sensibilities. Personal Life Drattell lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, a physician, and their four children. Selected Operas “Festival of Regrets" (1999) “Lilith" (2001) "Nicholas and Alexandra" (2003) "Best Friends" (2005, with Wendy Wasserstein and Christopher Durang) Selected Orchestral Works "Fire Dances" (1986) "The Fire Within" (1989) "Sorrow is Not Melancholy" (1993) Honors and Awards Drattell's accolades include: The Leonard Bernstein Fellowship in Composition at Tanglewood Commissions from the Fromm Foundation and Meet the Composer An NEA Grant and ASCAP awards

Selected operas

*''Festival of Regrets'' (1999) *''Marina Tsvetaeva'' (2000) *''

Lilith Lilith (; ), also spelled Lilit, Lilitu, or Lilis, is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, theorized to be the first wife of Adam and a primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Eden ...

'' (2001) *''

Nicholas and Alexandra ''Nicholas and Alexandra'' is a 1971 British epic historical drama film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, from a screenplay by James Goldman and Edward Bond based on Robert K. Massie's 1967 book of the same name. It tells the story of the l ...

'' (2003,

Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera, originally called the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler P ...

), with

as Rasputin, Nancy Gustafson as Alexandra, and Rod Gilfry as Nicholas. *''Best Friends'' (2005) libretto by

Wendy Wasserstein Wendy Wasserstein (October 18, 1950 – January 30, 2006) was an American playwright. She was an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. She received the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1989 ...

and

Christopher Durang Christopher Ferdinand Durang (January 2, 1949 – April 2, 2024) was an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s, though his career seemed to get a second wind in th ...

Selected orchestral works

*Clarinet Concerto: ''Fire Dances'' (1986) *''The Fire Within'' (1989) *''Sorrow is not Melancholy'' (1993)

References

1956 births Living people Tulane University faculty 20th-century American classical composers American opera composers Musicians from Brooklyn American women opera composers 21st-century American classical composers Classical musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American women composers 21st-century American women composers American women academics {{US-composer-20thC-stub