ENJAMIN LEES
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    • The Introduction
    • Biography of the Man
    • Biographical Chronology
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    • Feature Articles
    • Yale's Acquisition
  • Compositions
    • Written Works >
      • Chronological List of Works
      • A Capella
      • Chamber Works
      • Works for Concert Band
      • Orchestral Works
      • Works for Solo Instrument
      • Stage Works
      • Works for Solo Instrument & Orchestra
      • Song Cycles & Solo Vocal Works
      • Works for Voice(s) and Orchestra
    • Reviews >
      • Reviews - Piano Music 1947 - 2005 >
        • Review - Uncle Dave Lewis (AllMusic Blog)
        • Review - Shirley Ratcliffe
        • Review - Scott Morrison
      • Borealis
      • Concerto for Brass Choir and Orchestra
      • Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
      • Concerto for French Horn and Orchestra
      • Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra
      • Concerto for Violin & Orchestra - April 29, 2008
      • Concerto for Woodwind Quintet and Orchestra
      • Constellations for Orchestra
      • Divertimento-Burlesca
      • Echoes of Normandy
      • Etudes for Piano and Orchestra
      • Fantasy Variations for piano
      • Medea of Corinth
      • Mirrors
      • Oboe Concerto
      • Odyssey 1
      • Odyssey 2
      • Passacaglia for Orchestra
      • Piano Concerto No. 3
      • Piano Sonata No. 4
      • Piano Trio No. 2 "Silent Voices"
      • Scarlatti Portfolio
      • Six Ornamental Etudes
      • Sonata No. 3
      • String Quartet No.1
      • String Quartet No.2
      • String Quartet No. 4
      • String Quartet No. 5
      • String Quartet No. 6
      • Symphony No. 2
      • Symphony No. 3
      • Symphony No. 4 "Memorial Candles"
      • Symphony No. 5 "Kalmar Nyckel"
      • Variations for Piano and Orchestra
      • Violin Concerto
  • Media
    • Interviews >
      • Interview KPFA 94.1 FM
      • Interview KUSC fm 91.5
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    • Video Clips #1
    • Video Clips #2
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Awards and Accolades ...


1952 ~First recipient of Fromm Foundation award for String Quartet No. 1 and Sonata for Two Pianos 1954
                          Guggenheim Fellowship

1955 ~Copley Foundation Award

1956 ~Fulbright Fellowship

1958 ~Sir Arnold Bax Society (London) Medal

1958 ~UNESCO Award (London) for String Quartet No. 2

1966 ~Guggenheim Fellowship

1967 ~Official Guest of Union of Soviet Composers

1985 ~Lancaster (PA) Symphony Orchestra Composer's Award

2003 ~Grammy Award nomination for Symphony No. 5 ("Kalmar Nyckel")

2009 ~ Grammy Award nomination forViolin Concerto

~

Benjamin Lees' Symphony No. 5,
"Kalmar Nyckel"
Nominated for 2004 Grammy Award
in Best Contemporary Composition Category

Benjamin Lees'  Violin Concerto
Nominated for 2009 Grammy Award
in Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance
(with Orchestra) Category

Benjamin Lees' Symphony No. 5, "Kalmar Nyckel" was nominated for a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Composition by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. You can find more information about the nominations at www.grammy.com.

This performance, recorded by Germany's Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, conducted by the composer's longtime musical interpreter and close associate, Stephen Gunzenhauser, has been released as part of Albany Records 2-CD set Troy 564-565, which also features Mr. Lees' Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 3, both also performed by the Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz conducted by Stephen Gunzenhauser and the composer's Etudes for Piano and Orchestra, with pianist James Dick and the Texas Festival Orchestra, conducted by Robert Spano. Special grants from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music and the Swedish Information Service helped make this recording possible.

For a sound clip click here. 
Clips are in mp3 format.
For the second time in four years, a piece by Benjamin Lees has been nominated for a Grammy Award. Nominated in Category 102 - Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra), the recording of the Violin Concerto was released on Artek Recordings in a performance by the superb violinist Elmar Oliveira and John McLaughlin Williams conducting the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. The catalogue number is AR-0042-2 and more information about the disk is at http://www.artekrecordings.com/.

Steven Schwartz, writing for ClassicalNet, says, “I first heard Lees's 1959 violin concerto from a Seventies LP released by Vox/Turnabout in their "Composer in America" series. Ruggiero Ricci soloed with the American Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kazuyoshi Akiyama. Szeryng premiered the work in 1963… Lees's concerto emphasizes the here and now and continually looks forward… Even when one metaphorically catches one's breath, some goal is always in sight, and while Lees does re-use certain thematic shapes, the effect is rather that of a golden thread running throughout the concerto fabric, rather than an attraction to the past.”

  • Home
  • Biography
    • The Introduction
    • Biography of the Man
    • Biographical Chronology
    • Awards
    • Feature Articles
    • Yale's Acquisition
  • Compositions
    • Written Works >
      • Chronological List of Works
      • A Capella
      • Chamber Works
      • Works for Concert Band
      • Orchestral Works
      • Works for Solo Instrument
      • Stage Works
      • Works for Solo Instrument & Orchestra
      • Song Cycles & Solo Vocal Works
      • Works for Voice(s) and Orchestra
    • Reviews >
      • Reviews - Piano Music 1947 - 2005 >
        • Review - Uncle Dave Lewis (AllMusic Blog)
        • Review - Shirley Ratcliffe
        • Review - Scott Morrison
      • Borealis
      • Concerto for Brass Choir and Orchestra
      • Concerto for Chamber Orchestra
      • Concerto for French Horn and Orchestra
      • Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra
      • Concerto for Violin & Orchestra - April 29, 2008
      • Concerto for Woodwind Quintet and Orchestra
      • Constellations for Orchestra
      • Divertimento-Burlesca
      • Echoes of Normandy
      • Etudes for Piano and Orchestra
      • Fantasy Variations for piano
      • Medea of Corinth
      • Mirrors
      • Oboe Concerto
      • Odyssey 1
      • Odyssey 2
      • Passacaglia for Orchestra
      • Piano Concerto No. 3
      • Piano Sonata No. 4
      • Piano Trio No. 2 "Silent Voices"
      • Scarlatti Portfolio
      • Six Ornamental Etudes
      • Sonata No. 3
      • String Quartet No.1
      • String Quartet No.2
      • String Quartet No. 4
      • String Quartet No. 5
      • String Quartet No. 6
      • Symphony No. 2
      • Symphony No. 3
      • Symphony No. 4 "Memorial Candles"
      • Symphony No. 5 "Kalmar Nyckel"
      • Variations for Piano and Orchestra
      • Violin Concerto
  • Media
    • Interviews >
      • Interview KPFA 94.1 FM
      • Interview KUSC fm 91.5
    • Documentary
    • Photos
    • Audio
    • Video Clips #1
    • Video Clips #2
  • Recordings
  • Contact