About the ensemble
Alea III was founded in 1978 by Music Director Theodore Antoniou, the third such ensemble organized by him (following Alea II at Stanford University). [1] Alea III is the contemporary music ensemble in residence at Boston University and presents several concerts each season, all of which offer complimentary admission.
Theodore Antoniou, was a Greek composer and conductor. His works vary from operas and choral works to chamber music, from film and theatre music to solo instrumental works. In addition to his career as composer and conductor, he was professor of composition at Boston University. His education included studies in violin, voice, and composition at the National Conservatory of Athens, the Hellenic Conservatory, and conducting at both The Hochschule für Musik and the International Music Centre in Darmstadt. He was a member of the Academy of Athens.
Leland Stanford Junior University is a private research university in Stanford, California. Stanford is known for its academic achievements, wealth, and selectivity; it ranks as one of the world's top universities.
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has been historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
The name of the ensemble is derived from multiple sources: the Greek word alea means "to wander," and in Latin, alea refers to "a die or dice used for playing at games of chance." Aleatoric music is also a source of inspiration; in the context of the ensemble, it concerns the expression of a multiplicity of musical directions, styles, and performance practices. [2] In all, the group has performed more than 1,300 works by over 750 composers, including pieces by Iannis Xenakis, [3] György Ligeti, and Arvo Pärt. [4]
Aleatoricmusic is music in which some element of the composition is left to chance, and/or some primary element of a composed work's realization is left to the determination of its performer(s). The term is most often associated with procedures in which the chance element involves a relatively limited number of possibilities.
Iannis Xenakis was a Greek-French composer, music theorist, architect, performance director and engineer. After 1947, he fled Greece, becoming a naturalized citizen of France. He is considered an important post-World War II composer whose works helped revolutionize 20th century classical music.
György Sándor Ligeti was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century" and "one of the most innovative and influential among progressive figures of his time".
Alea III has recorded for the FM Records, Navona Records, and Capstone Records labels.
Capstone Records is an American classical music record label focusing particularly on contemporary classical music. It was established by Richard Brooks in 1986 and was based in Brooklyn, New York. The label has hundreds of releases featuring a wide range of composers from William Albright, Milton Babbitt, Robert Baksa, and John Cage to Mary Jeanne van Appledorn, Rodney Waschka II, Iannis Xenakis, and Chen Yi (composer). Performers represented on the label include such groups as the California EAR Unit, the Nevsky String Quartet, Steven Graff, and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 2009, the company was acquired by Parma Recordings of Hampton, New Hampshire. In the spring of 2009 it was announced Capstone would be run as an imprint.
