David Carlson (born 13 March 1952) is an American composer.Carlson
studied theory and composition at the Los Angeles High School of the
Arts and with Leonard Stein at the California Institute of the Arts.
From 1988 to 1992 he was coordinator of the San Francisco Symphony's
New and Unusual Music series.David Carlson's symphonic works have been
performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony
Orchestra (United States), the San Francisco Symphony, the BBC
Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival, and others. He has composed several
chamber pieces, including a Cello Sonata, a large work for cello and
male chorus called Nocturno, and two cello concertos, as well as a
large work for viola and piano called True Divided Light, premiered in
2005. Carlson is the recipient of an Academy Award in Music from the
American Academy of Arts and Letters, two commissions from Meet the
Composer, Chamber Music America, and several other grants and
fellowships. He has written four operas, three of which have had
numerous performances. The Midnight Angel, to a libretto and original
story by author Peter S. Beagle, was commissioned by Opera Theatre of
St. Louis, Glimmerglass Opera, and Sacramento Opera; in 2007 it
received a new production by Milwaukee's Skylight Opera Theatre.
Dreamkeepers, with an original story and libretto by Aden Ross, was
commissioned by the Utah Opera in celebration of the 1996 Utah
Centennial and given a new production by the Tulsa Opera in 1998. Anna
Karenina, in collaboration with noted British librettist and director
Colin Graham, was commissioned by Florida Grand Opera in celebration
of the 2007 opening of the Ziff Opera House in Miami, with a
co-production by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Anna Karenina received
a new production in September 2010 by Opera San Jose, and was
performed again in April 2016 by Moores Opera Center at the University
of Houston. David Carlson lived and worked in San Francisco his entire
adult life and currently lives in Napa Valley, California, with his
husband and partner of 33 years, Claudio Laghi.
studied theory and composition at the Los Angeles High School of the
Arts and with Leonard Stein at the California Institute of the Arts.
From 1988 to 1992 he was coordinator of the San Francisco Symphony's
New and Unusual Music series.David Carlson's symphonic works have been
performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony
Orchestra (United States), the San Francisco Symphony, the BBC
Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival, and others. He has composed several
chamber pieces, including a Cello Sonata, a large work for cello and
male chorus called Nocturno, and two cello concertos, as well as a
large work for viola and piano called True Divided Light, premiered in
2005. Carlson is the recipient of an Academy Award in Music from the
American Academy of Arts and Letters, two commissions from Meet the
Composer, Chamber Music America, and several other grants and
fellowships. He has written four operas, three of which have had
numerous performances. The Midnight Angel, to a libretto and original
story by author Peter S. Beagle, was commissioned by Opera Theatre of
St. Louis, Glimmerglass Opera, and Sacramento Opera; in 2007 it
received a new production by Milwaukee's Skylight Opera Theatre.
Dreamkeepers, with an original story and libretto by Aden Ross, was
commissioned by the Utah Opera in celebration of the 1996 Utah
Centennial and given a new production by the Tulsa Opera in 1998. Anna
Karenina, in collaboration with noted British librettist and director
Colin Graham, was commissioned by Florida Grand Opera in celebration
of the 2007 opening of the Ziff Opera House in Miami, with a
co-production by Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Anna Karenina received
a new production in September 2010 by Opera San Jose, and was
performed again in April 2016 by Moores Opera Center at the University
of Houston. David Carlson lived and worked in San Francisco his entire
adult life and currently lives in Napa Valley, California, with his
husband and partner of 33 years, Claudio Laghi.
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