Christopher Rouse

Christopher Rouse is one of America's most prominent composers of orchestral music. Winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Trombone Concerto, Rouse has created a body of work perhaps unequalled in its emotional intensity. The New York Times has called it "some of the most anguished, most memorable music around." Stephen Wigler of The Baltimore Sun has written: "When the music history of the late 20th century is written, I suspect the explosive and passionate music of Rouse will loom large."

Born in Baltimore in 1949, Rouse developed an early interest in both classical and popular music. He graduated from Oberlin Conservatory and Cornell University, numbering among his principal teachers George Crumb and Karel Husa. Rouse has maintained a steady interest in popular music: at the Eastman School of Music, where he taught composition for two decades, he also taught a course in the history of rock. He now teaches composition at The Juilliard School.

While the Rouse catalog includes a number of acclaimed chamber and ensemble works, the composer is best known for his mastery of orchestral writing. His music has been played by nearly every major orchestra in the U.S., and numerous ensembles overseas, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney and Melbourne Symphonies, and the Austrian Radio Orchestra. The first six months of 1997 alone brought performances in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.K. Conductors Marin Alsop, Christoph Eschenbach, Leonard Slatkin, and David Zinman have been consistent champions of his work.

Since the early 1990's, Rouse has gained particular notice for his concertos. Among these are Violin Concerto (1991), commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival for Cho-Liang Lin, and Violoncello Concerto, given its premiere in Spring 1994 by Yo-Yo Ma, with David Zinman leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Ma has recorded the Violoncello Concerto for Sony Classics, accompanied by David Zinman and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Rouse's Concert de Gaudí, a guitar concerto for soloist Sharon Isbin, was commissioned jointly by the NDR Symphony Orchestra (Hamburg) and the Dallas Symphony. Concert de Gaudí drew inspiration from the exotic and fanciful designs of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. Isbin's 2001 recording of the work on the Teldec label earned the composer a Grammy for Best Contemporary Composition. Rapture (2000), which depicts "a state of spiritual bliss, religious or otherwise," was commissioned and premiered by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Mariss Jansons. May 2001 brought the premiere of Rouse's Clarinet Concerto, commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for its principal clarinetist Larry Combs.

The composer recently completed a full-length Requiem for baritone soloist, chorus, children's chorus, and large orchestra, commissioned by Solo Dei Gloria.