Composer and Conductor David Colson Nominated for Grammy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 10, 2006
Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Composer and Conductor David Colson Nominated for Grammy
An audio recording conducted by David Colson, Department of Music, California State University, Chico, and released by Bridge Records, Inc., New Rochelle, NY, has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Small Ensemble category.
Colson conducted the eminent American composer George Crumb's "Ancient Voices of Children." Performing artists on the recording included soprano Tony Arnold, harpist Courtney Hershey Bress, oboist Kathryn Dupuy Cooper, percussionist Mark Foster, pianist Susan Grace, percussionist William Hill, percussionist John Kinzie, boy soprano Justin Murray, mandolinist David Starobin and musical saw player Dale Stuckenbruck.
Colson has been a professor of music at CSU, Chico since 1992. He teaches composition, theory and orchestration. "It's a tremendous honor to be nominated," said Colson. "The recording is very special to me since the piece is by one of my favorite composers, George Crumb, and it's a work that I've studied since I was 16 years old."
Colson's compositions have been performed and recorded by professional musicians in both the United States and Europe. Recent performances include "Medusa's Eye" for guitarist David Starobin, "Mandala" for the Dorian Wind Quintet's West Coast tour, "Lasciatemi Morire" for the CSU, Chico A Cappella Choir, "Monologues for Flute and Vibraphone" performed at the Colorado College New Music Symposium, and "Percussion Piece No. 5" for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra's "Drums of the World" concert.
Colson is currently writing new works for the Concordia String Trio. His works are published and distributed by Avera Music Press and recorded by Red Mark and MMC Recordings, Ltd. In fall 2000, he was a Resident Fellow of the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Colson has extensive experience as a percussionist. In 2000 he recorded George Crumb's "Makrokosmos III: Music for a Summer Evening" for Bridge Records. It was featured as "CD of the Month" (June 2001) on Classics today.com and received its highest artistic rating. It was also "Editor's Choice" in "Sequenza21/The Contemporary Classical Music Weekly."
Among other projects in 2002, Colson recorded Crumb's Madrigals (Books I-IV) with soprano Tony Arnold and "Idyll for the Misbegotten" with flutist Rachel Rudich, both for Bridge Records.
From 1994 to 2000, Colson was music director and conductor of the Chico Symphony Orchestra. In addition to orchestral music, he conducted both oratorio and operatic performances, including the world premiere of Debussy's opera "Le Gladiateur."
Colson's conducting record is also extensive, including conducting for the Campanile Orchestra and Shepherd Symphony at Rice University, Houston Youth Symphony, Camellia Orchestra, Paradise Symphony and Rose City Chamber Orchestra.
The Grammy Awards are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and are considered the most coveted of the many contemporary music awards. This year's ceremony will be held Feb. 6, 2006.