Susan Hurley (composer)

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Susan Hurley (born 1946) is an American composer living and working in Los Angeles, California.

Contents

Hurley's compositional style is an "unusual, unique voice [and] highly individualistic." [1] Her work "defines [the] two opposing characteristics of the post-minimalist style – lyricism and rhythmic drive . . .” [1] The 1992 piece "Gallery Music for Harp" examples this by engaging the listener with "a strong introductory flourish" developing into "gentle, otherworldly sounds.” [2] This alternation between opposites is observed again in a review of "Vermont Poems" and its harmonic reliance on "shifts between unisons and dissonants" [3]

The range of the instruments used by Hurley is broad, including ancient and subtle instruments such as the clavichord and older compositional vehicles such as the chamber opera. Hurley wrote one such opera based on the lives of Anaïs Nin and Rupert Pole. This was commissioned by Joan Palevsky of Los Angeles. Palevsky had been "instrumental" in securing a transfer of the papers of Anaïs Nin to UCLA. [4] The commission was part of this effort.

Hurley was born in Massachusetts and raised in Vermont.

Education

Work

Professional positions and residencies

Commissions

There are various film scores. The details of these are best obtained through ASCAP. [6]

Discography, partial

Publications

Audio samples

Work in progress includes

At the time of this writing, November 2023, Hurley is working on a large scale opera and collaborating on ambient music projects.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Buffalo News , Buffalo, New York, September 1988
  2. Lawrence Vittes, LA Reader, January 31, 1992, p. 37
  3. Review of Vermont Poems, Susan Hurley, Chorus! Magazine
  4. The UCLA Senate obituary for Page Ackerman University Librarian, Emerita, makes reference to Palevsky's effort in paragraph seven of that document. University of California Senate reference
  5. Anaïs was privately commissioned by Joan Palevsky, and was performed twice at The American Renegade Theater, Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, February 2002. Composers Forum reference All About Opera reference. Archived January 30, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Hurely, Susan, ASCAP Catalog Listings CAE/IPI No. 127.06.16.99 ASCAP Publication Listing, Hurley
  7. "The Audio Book of Alices Adventures in Wonderland," original music by Susan Hurley, narrated by Harry Shearer with Vinessa Shaw, Michael York, Malcolm McDowell, Elliott Gould, et al. KCRW Production Notes

Biographical references

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