Joel Hoffman (composer)


Joel Hoffman is a Canadian/American composer of contemporary classical music and pianist living in New York, New York. Hoffman's music draws much of its richness and variety from such diverse sources as Eastern European folk musics, Chinese traditional music and American bebop, yet these sources seem to be seamlessly woven into a unique musical language that is pervaded by a sense of lyricism and rhythmic vitality.

Biography

Hoffman earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Wales and a masters and doctorate from the Juilliard School. His teachers included Elliott Carter, Milton Babbitt, Vincent Persichetti, Alun Hoddinott, Arnold Whittall and Easley Blackwood.
For 36 years, he was a professor of composition at the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music and the founder/director of the Music X festival of new music which was held for the first thirteen years in Cincinnati and for the last three years at the Hindemith Music Centre in Blonay, Switzerland. He was president of Chamber Music Cincinnati, and has directed an annual summer course for composer/performers at the UPBEAT International Music School in Milna, Croatia since 2004
He has been the recipient of many honors from organizations such as the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Columbia University, BMI, ASCAP, and the American Music Center. Hoffman is a 2017 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellow.
Hoffman's music is published by Onibatan Music, his own publishing house , RAI Com, ECS Publishing, G. Schirmer and Vanderbilt Music Company.

Works

This is a list of compositions by Joel Hoffman sorted by genre, date of composition, title, and scoring.
GenreDateTitleScoring
Orchestra2009...repercussions...chamber orchestra
Orchestra2003to listen, to hearfull orchestra
Orchestra2001The Smilefull orchestra
Orchestra1997Millennium Dancesfull orchestra
Orchestra1995ChiaSsofull orchestra
Orchestra1994Music for Chamber Orchestrachamber orchestra
Orchestra1992Music in Blue and Greenfull orchestra
Orchestra1985Between Tenfull orchestra
Orchestra1980Chamber Symphonychamber orchestra
Conducted 2016The Dizi in my Life
dizi solo, string orchestra
Conducted 2013The Dizi in my Lifedizi solo, dizi orchestra, 2 violencello
Conducted 2012"Party Piece"
oboe, bassoon, trumpet, trombone
marimba, vibraphone, xylophone
accordion, piano
violin, viola, violoncello
Conducted 2010Carnivalfinalepiccolo, clarinet, glockenspiel, xylophone
2 pianos, 2 violins, viola, violoncello, contrabass
Conducted 2004The Old Machine at Sovereign Hillintermediate level string orchestra
Conducted 2003Brave Old Mordechaiclarinet, cimbalom, accordion
voice, string orchestra
Conducted 1996L' Chaim Chantata12-part ensemble
Conducted 1990Reyzele: a Portraitflute, clarinet, percussion,
2 violins, viola, violoncello, contrabass
Conducted 1990Crossing Points20 solo strings
Conducted 1978Music from Chartres2 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, tuba
Chamber2017Bitter Lemon Suiteclarinet, violoncello
Chamber2017Xiang He Ge 相和歌xiao, guitar
Chamber2017ei, jauga jaugaclarinet, violoncello, piano
Chamber2017Nautilus 鹦鹉螺sheng, vibraphone, guzheng
Chamber2016sizzle 丝竹 violin, violoncello, piano, 2 marimbas
Chamber2016Beijing Expresspiano four-hands
Chamber2016Riffs on a Great Lifevioloncello, piano
Chamber2015of Deborah, for Deborahviolin, viola, violoncello, harp
Chamber2015Huan Song Reduxdizi, flute
Chamber2014Music in Five Partsflute, viola, harp
Chamber2013Osibova Blueclarinet, 2 violins, viola, violoncello
Chamber2012another timestring quartet
Chamber2012Music in Yellow and Greenflute, violin, violoncello, piano
Chamber2011Camino Azulstring quartet
Chamber2011five bedtime storiesclarinet, guzheng
Chamber2011Piano Trio 4violin, violoncello, piano
Chamber2010...the first time and the lastversion for 10 violoncello
Chamber2010Self-Portrait with Orlando3 flutes
Chamber2010Three for Fivevioloncello, string quartet
Chamber2009...the first time and the lastversion for 4 violoncello
Chamber2009Three Pathsvioloncello, piano
Chamber2007passo passostring quartet, harpsichord
Chamber20066-8-2-4-5-8flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello
piano, marimba
Chamber2006Arrivistring quartet
Chamber2006Karptetviolin, viola, violoncello, 2 pianos
Chamber2006Three Orangesviolin, marimba
Chamber2006Three Snapshotsflute, violoncello
Chamber2005Blue and Yellowflute, piano
Chamber2005String Quartet no. 3string quartet
Chamber2004Piano Trio 3 on C#violin, violoncello, piano
Chamber2003Piano Trio 2: Lost Tracesviolin, violoncello, piano
Chamber2003Coast to Coastpercussion, mandolin/banjo, violin
Chamber2003Portogruaro Quartet2 pianos, 2 percussion
Chamber2001Self-Portrait with JSstring trio
Chamber2001Gebirtig Speaksclarinet, violin, viola, violoncello, piano
Chamber1996Stone Soupnarrator, violin
Chamber1996Portogruaro Sextetclarinet, horn, violin, viola, violoncello, piano
Chamber1996The Music within the Words, Part 1flute, oboe, violoncello, piano
Chamber1996The Music within the Words, Part 1alternate version flute, clarinet, bassoon,
horn, piano
Chamber1996The Music within the Words, Part 2viola, violoncello, harp, piano
Chamber1995L' Immensita dell' Attimoflute, piano
Chamber1993String Quartet no. 2string quartet
Chamber1992Metasmopercussion trio
Chamber1991Cubist Bluesviolin, violoncello, piano
Chamber198826 x 3 for 3 percussion trio
Chamber1988Fantasia Fiorentinaviolin, piano
Chamber1987Ricordanzavioloncello, piano
Chamber1987Hancock Triooboe, horn, piano
Chamber1984Music for Two Oboes2 oboes
Chamber1984Duo for Viola and Pianoviola, piano
Chamber1983Five Pieces for Two Pianos2 pianos
Chamber1982Music for Trumpets and Strings2 trumpets, string quartet
Chamber1982Sonata for Cello and Pianovioloncello, piano
Chamber1981Nirvana, the Waterfallsoprano, violoncello, piano
Chamber1981Lyric Variations6 trombones
Chamber1980September Musiccontrabass, harp
Chamber1980Suiteoboe, bassoon, violoncello, contrabass, percussion
Chamber1980Three Bagatellesoboe, bassoon, piano
Chamber1980Divertimentostring quartet, harp, piano
Chamber1977Horn Concertohorn, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano
Chamber1977Variations for Four Flutes4 flutes
Chamber1977Bagatelles for harp and pianoharp, piano
Chamber1975Nocturneviolin, piano
Chamber1975Variationsviolin, violoncello, harp
Concerto2014sizzle 丝竹violin, violoncello, dizi orchestra, 2 yunluo
Concerto2008Piano Concertopiano, orchestra
Concerto2007The Forty Stepsoud, violoncello, orchestra
Concerto1998Self-Portrait with Gebirtigvioloncello, orchestra
Concerto1994Self-Portrait with Mozartviolin, piano, orchestra
Concerto1991reconstruction of Mozart's Concerto
for Violin, Piano and Orchestra, 1st Movement		violin, piano, orchestra
Concerto1986Violin Concertoviolin, orchestra
Concerto1984Double Concertoviola, violoncello, orchestra
Concerto1978Triple Concertoviolin, viola, violoncello, orchestra
Solo2017Cat Talesintermediate piano
Solo2016AS 8.7.2piano
Solo2014Lamipìfonavioloncello
Solo2013Two Hands and Thirty-four thousand Feetpiano
Solo2012Amethyst Variationspiano
Solo2011un petit endroit très profond à l'intérieur de Dantepiano
Solo2010nine pieces for solo pianopiano
Solo2009départsviola
Solo2009flutterbyclarinet
Solo2007Krakow Variationsversion for solo violin
Solo2007unaccompanied minorvioloncello
Solo2007square oneviolin
Solo2007unaccompanied minorvioloncello
Solo2004at what price?piano
Solo2004For Billpiano
Solo2001Round Midnight Variationpiano
Solo1999Krakow Variationsviola
Solo1991each for himself?piano
Solo1990Partenzeviolin
Solo1986Hands Downpiano
Solo1982Sonata for Harpharp
Solo1978Concert-Studyflute
Solo1978Concert-Studypiano
Solo1977Abbassareviola
Solo1977Concert-Studyvioloncello
Solo1975Fantasy Piecespiano
Vocal2005Sonnet 223-part men's chorus, 2 harps
Vocal1995L' lmmensita dell' Attimomezzo-soprano, piano
Vocal1987Sendup, CountdownSATB chorus + optional piano
Vocal1974Three EnglynionSSATB
Theater2002The Memory Gameopera in three acts

Recordings

Three Paths. Albany Records.
Includes:
Self Portrait. Albany Records.
Includes:
Piano Trios. Albany Records.
Includes:
Cubist Blues. Gasparo Records.
Includes:
Chinese Bamboo Flute Orchestra. China Record Corporation.
Includes Joel Hoffman: The Diz in my life
Bravo Orkester. Zalozba Kaset in Plosc.
Includes Joel Hoffman: Self-Portrait with Gebirtig
The American Experience. Milken Archive of Jewish Music.
Includes Joel Hoffman: Self-Portrait of Gebirtig
American Piano. Gasparo Records.
Includes Joel Hoffman: Fantasy Pieces
Music by Hale Smith, Sheila Silver, Joel Hoffman. CRI Recordings.
Includes Joel Hoffman: Duo for Viola and Piano
Soliloquy. Koch International.
Includes Joel Hoffman: Partenze
Premiere Chamber Works. Centaur Records.
Includes Joel Hoffman: Music for Two Oboes
Americans!. Stradivarius.
Includes Joel Hoffman: Each for Himself?
America. VDM Records.
Includes Blues and Yellow
Tum-Balalayke. EMA Records.
CD of traditional Jewish Songs; Joel Hoffman, piano and arranger