University of California Davis
e-mail: niederb@charles.ucdavis.edu
Title: Lecturer in Music
EDUCATION
Brandeis University, Waltham, MA: Ph.D. 1991
UCD Graduate Studies in Composition 1981-82
University of California Davis, CA: B.A. in Music 1981
(With Highest Honors)
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
German: excellent speaking, reading and writing; French: good reading
GRANTS, HONORS, COMMISSIONS
1997 Project "Passages Européens," Künstlerhaus Boswil, CH (a cultural exchange program).
1997, 1993 UCD Academic Federation Research Travel Award.
1996-97 Opus Novum, Lucerne: Commission of Sonnenspur.
1995 University of California Davis: Professional Development Grant for the composition Towards the Sound of River Aa.
1994 Schindler Kulturstiftung, a private cultural foundation (Recording Grant).
1993 Grants from the Pro Helvetia Foundation, CH National Endowment for the Arts: 1995 (Recording Grant), 1994 (Performance Grant), 1993 (Commission of Tandem Poins) and 1985 (Commission of Inferences).
1992 Susan Narucki, commission.
1984 H. U. Stohler, commission.
PRIZES, FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS
1997 Künstlerhaus Alte Kirche Boswil, CH: Composer's Fellowship.
1996 "Songs of the Month" (Die Lieder der Monats). Schweizerische Chor- zeitung, November 1996.
1994 Villa Montalvo Center for the Arts: Composer's Fellowship.
1993 Dorland Mountain Arts Colony: Composer's Fellowship.
1982 Olga Brose Valente Memorial Prize for Excellence in Musical Composition.
1983-85 Brandeis University: Fine Fellowship
1982-83 Brandeis University: Remis Fellowship.
1979-1981 UC Davis Regents Scholarship.
NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP
PHI KAPPA PHI: UC Davis Chapter, 1980
MEMBERSHIPS IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Society of Composers, Inc.; International Alliance for Woman in Music; CH-FMF (FrauenMusik Forum); CH-Tonkünstlerverein, SUISA.
PUBLISHED WRITINGS AND MUSIC SCORES
Frühlingsmusen for high voices. CH-Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1996 (MN 601); In der Nacht for high voices. CH-Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1996 (MN 602); 'Tragische' Geschichte for high voices. CH- Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1996 (MN 603); September for high voices. CH-Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1997 (MN 604); Einmal for high voices. CH-Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1997 (MN 605); Christiane for high voices. CH-Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1997 (MN 606); Christiane for high voices. CH-Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1997 (MN 607); Schlittle for high voices. CH-Aarau: Musikedition Nepomuk, 1997 (MN 608).
Piano Quintet (Original Composition) (Ph. D. diss., Brandeis University 1991). Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International
Schoenberg's "Intricate Structure": An Analytic Approach to his
String Quartet in D Minor, Op. 7 (Ph. D. diss., Brandeis University 1991).
Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International.
"Ansichten über die Vielfalt der musikalischen Richtungen unserer Zeit" (My Views on the Multitude of Musical Directions in Our Time). In Schweizer Komponistinnen der Gegenwart. Zürich: Musikverlag Hug &Co., 1985: 86- 87.
Publication in Preparation
(anticipated publication date: March 1998):
Petite Suite for solo viola. J. B. Elkus & Son, Music Publishers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schweizer Komponisten unserer Zeit. Winterthur: Amadeus Verlag, 1993: 295-296.
Schweizer Komponistinnen der Gegenwart. Zürich: Musikverlag Hug &Co., 1985: 86-87.
Reviews:
CD Review: Music Between Two Continents. IAWM Journal, Vol.3,No1 February 1997:36
Between Two Continents. CD Portrait. Neue Luzerner Zeitung Kultur. Luzern: Oct. 24, 1996
Concert Review: Boa Luzern: Opus Novum mit Uraufführung eines Auftragswerkes. Neue Luzerner Zeitung Kultur. Luzern: March 18, 1997.
DISCOGRAPHY
COMPACT DISK
Music Between Two Continents. Magnon PN 2637, Switzerland.
DDD (c)1996 (Recorded in the USA and in Switzerland).
Album Pages (1989) for solo violin
Maryvonne Le Dizès, violin
Inferences (1985) for chamber ensemble
Ensemble FMF, Basel Gertrud Meyer-Denkmann, director
Emmy Henz-Diémand, piano
Sounds of Space-Time (1993) for clarinet, marimba and piano Deborah Pittman, clarinet Dan Kennedy, marimba
Katherine Svistoonoff, piano
Daedaleum (1983) for solo cello Hans Ulrich Stohler, cello
Tandem Points (1993) for ten players
Empyrean Ensemble Ross Bauer, director
Songs for Young Singers (1995) Girls Choir of the Lucerne Kantorei Andreas Wiedmer, director
COMPACT DISK
Contemporary Works for the Violin ` 97
jünger-zwicker-dandara-palola-müller-niederberger. JP CD 0001 (c) 1997 DDD (Recorded in Finland).
Contains:
Album Pages (1989) for solo violin
Juhani Palola, violin
PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES AND MUSIC FESTIVALS
Upcoming:
1998 Fra Nord e Sud, Milan, Italy.
Sounds of Space-Time (transcription for Saxophone). Massimo Mazzoni, saxophone, Esther Flückiger, piano.
1998 Stanser Musktage, Switzerland
Vernissage for piano. Parizio Mazzola, piano
Past:
1997 Festival of New American Music, CSUS Sacramento, CA
On Winter's Margin for violin and marimba. Juhani Palola, violin and Daniel Kennedy, marimba.
1997 16. Zentralschweizer Gesangsfest, Stans, Swizerland. Lieder für hohe Stimmen. Performed by the Luzerner Kantorei. Henk Geuke, director.
1996 ISCMFestival, Tirana, Albania. Composition: Album Pages for solo violin. Juhani Palola, violin.
1995 Festival of New American Music, CSUS Sacramento, CA
Composition: Wait for Me for soprano and piano. Susan Narucki, soprano and Betty Woo, piano.
1995 Festival of New American Music, Festival Lecture--Twentieth Century Music Seminar, CSUS Sacramento, CA. Maria A. Niederberger, speaker.
1993 27th [National] Conference of the Society of Composers, Inc. Cleveland State University, Ohio. Composition: Album Pages for solo violin (Roger Zahab, University of Akron, violin).
1992 Fifteenth Annual Conference of the Music Theory Society, Kansas City, MO. Paper: Schoenberg's "Intricate Structure": an Analytic Approach to his String Quartet in D minor, Op. 7.
Maria A. Niederberger, speaker.
1992 West Coast Conference of Music Theory and Analysis, UC-Santa Barbara. Paper: Octatonic Elements in the Thematic Complex of Schoenberg's String Quartet in D minor, Op. 7.
Maria A. Niederberger, speaker.
1985 Swiss National Project for the European Year of Music: Inferences for piano and chamber ensemble. Ensemble FMF, Basel. Gertrud Meyer- Denkmann, director; Emmy Henz-Diémand, piano
PRINCIPAL COMPOSITIONS
Combinations (I. q = ca. 72, II. h = 50 Freies Geleit) for string quartet and mezzosoprano. Text by Ingeborg Bachmann. 8'37'' (1983).
Daedaleum for solo violoncello. (1984). 4' 44'' . Commissioned by Hans Ulrich Stohler, Basel, CH.
Inferences for solo piano and ensemble: flute (also alto flute), clarinet (also bass clarinet), bassoon, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, violin, viola, violoncello. 6'10" (1985). Commissioned by Pro Helvetia.
Album Pages (I. Tempo moderato, II. Allegro--Quasi Recitativo--Allegro-- Adagio, III. Finale) for solo-violin. Ca 6'00" (1987-88, addition of new movement 1989).
Piano Quintet for string quartet and piano. Ca 8'00" (1989-90).
Sounds of Space-Time for solo clarinet (soprano and bass clarinet), marimba and piano. (I. Scorrevole, II. Largamento, III. Con Spirito) Ca 18' (1991-92). Commissioned by Deborah Pittman, CSUS.
Tandem Points for flute, oboe, bass clarinet, horn, percussion I and II, violin, viola, cello, bass. Ca. 10' (1993). Commissioned by Pro Helvetia.
Petite Suite for solo viola (I. Saltarello; II. Im Sommer tanzen wir (Eclectic Variations); II. Mitten im Leben sind wir... Lento-Animato-Lento).
Ca. 8' (1996).
Sonnenspur (Tonbilder aus Kalifornien) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, percussion I und II, piano, violin I und II, viola, cello (1996-97).
Ca. 10'. Commissioned by OPUS NOVUM, Lucerne. (I. Nächtlicher Koyotentanz (Non troppo), II. Morgensonn' das Meer enthüllet (Langsam), III. Purple Horses..., IV. Yosemite (Leicht)).
On Winter's Margin for violin and marimba (1997). Ca 12'. Suggested by Daniel Kennedy, CSUS. (I. First Reflection, Interlude I, II. Second Reflection, III. Princess of Crumbs, Interlude II (A Hymn), IV. Ice Flowers).
Images for fl, ob, cl, bn, hn in F, trumpet, tromb, contra bass, perc, piano (1997)
Ca. 20'. Commissioned by Passages Europeens. (I. Fluid Shapes, II. Light and Shadow, III. Symmetries, Broken Symmetries).
Vernissage: Musikalische Gedanken und Skizzen für Klavier (1998) 10', in progress. Suggested by Patrizio Mazzola, Bern. (I. Antecedent, II. Blautöne, III. Stilleben, IV. TBA, V. Consequent).
for large orchestra. Ca. 4'30" (1995-96).
Violin Concerto (I. Vivace, II. Sostenuto) for solo violin and orchestra. 8'22'' (1981).
Ca 10'. (1993-95)
1. <<Auf der Bootsbrücke>> (poem by Silja Walter) 2. <<Oh Earth, Wait for Me >> (poem by Pablo Neruda/ Alastair Reid, translation) 3. <<Dream Variation >> (poem by Langston Hughes) 4. <<Nach vielen Jahren>> (poem by Ingeborg Bachmann). Commissioned by Susan Narucki.
Oh Grosses Wunder (1995). For choir, string quartet, flute, and percussion. Contains also spoken sections. Text: Sections from Lauretanische Litanei 1749 and poem by Maria A. Niederberger.
I. Nid uiswiiche II. Zangg vo de junge Chräje III. O die Jährli IV. Zangg vo de-n-alte Chräje V. Stirm hend pfuised VI. Ringelreihe vo de junge Chräje VII. Nid uiswiiche
Neue Lieder für hohe Stimmen (1994-95) Zwölf tonale Lieder, zwei- bis dreistimmig. Written for the Luzerner Kantorei
1. <<September>> (Gedicht: Werner Bergengruen), 1'05". MN 604*.
2. <<Christiane>> (Gedicht: Matthias Claudius), 2'15". MN 606. 3. <<'Tragische' Geschichte>> (Gedicht: Adalbert von Camisso), 2'00". MN 603.
4. <<Abreise>> (Kanon à 3) (Gedicht: Ernst Penzoldt), 1'05". 5. <<In der Nacht>> (Gedicht: Josef von Eichendorff), 1'05". MN 602. 6. <<On the Planet of Mars>> (Gedicht: Shel Silverstein) (Humor, in englischer Sprache). 7. <<D Chrinne>> (Mundartlyrik) (Gedicht: Gertrud Burkhalter), 1'40".
8. <<Frühlingsmusen>> (poem by M. A. Niederberger), 1'15". MN 601.
9. <<Einmal>> (Sommerlied) (poem by Erica Pedretti), 0'45". MN 605. 10. <<Der Nebel>> (poem by CarlSandburg), 1'05". 11. <<Schlittle>> (Mundartlyrik) (poem by Traugott Meyer), 1'45". MN 608. 12. <<Schneefall>> (Friedrich Bischoff), 2'20".
(* MN = Musikedition Nepomuk, CH-Aarau.)
Versöhnung (SATB), (poem by Paul Kathriner 'Selbzweit am Meer'). Ca. 2'(1995).
April 7, 1993
University of Akron, OH
College of fine and applied arts
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
April15, 1993
Soc. of Composers, Inc. Conference
Cleveland State University, OH
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
Robert Bloch, violin
May 16, 1993
University of California Davis
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
Deborah Pittman, clarinet
Daniel Kennedy, marimba
Katherine Svistoonoff, piano
May 21, 1993
University of California Davis (premiere performance)
Maria A. Niederberger. Sounds of Space-Time for bass/sopr.clarinets, piano & marimba
Daniel Kennedy, marimba
Katherine Svistoonoff, piano
April 11, 1994
California State University Sacramento
Maria A. Niederberger. Sounds of Space-Time for bass/sopr.clarinets, piano & marimba
Empyrean Ensemble, Ross Bauer, conductor
Tod Brody, flute Terrie Baune, violin
Deborah Shidler, oboe Uri Wassertzug, viola
Diane Maltester, bass clarinet Sarah Freiberg, cello
Peter Nowlen, French horn Thomas Derthick, bass
Daniel Kennedy, percussion Allan Biggs, percussion
May 15, 1994
University of California Davis (premiere performance)
Maria A. Niederberger. Tandem Points for ten players
Malters, canton of Luzern, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. SixSongs for high voices
October 5, 1995
Schorndorf, Germany
Maria A. Niederberger. SixSongs for high voices
October 8, 1995
Dornzdorf, Germany
Maria A. Niederberger. SixSongs for high voices
Susan Narucki, soprano and Betty Woo, piano
November 3, 1995
Festival of New American Music
California State University Sacramento (premiere performance)
Maria A. Niederberger. Wait for Me for soprano and piano
November 21, 1996
Department of Music,
University of California Davis
Maria A. Niederberger. PetiteSuite for solo Viola
ISCM Festival in Tirana, Albania
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
Luzern, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. Three Songs for high voices
*This event was designed to launch my newly released CD Music Between Two Continents.
Juhani Palola, violin
September 20, 1996
Waidelich Residence, Grub, AR, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
Juhani Palola, violin
July 14, 1996
Oulu Conservatory of Music, Oulu, Finland
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
University Chamber Singers (UC Davis), Paul Hillier, director
May 29, 1996 (premiere performance)
St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Davis
Maria A. Niederberger. Two Holub Songss for chorus (SATB)
OPUS NOVUM, Peter Siegwart, conductor
March16, 1997
Lucerne, BOA Halle
Maria A. Niederberger. Tandem Points for ten players (European premiere performance)
Sonnenspur for chamber ensemble (World premiere perf.)
Klaus Durrer, flute Suzanne Vischer, violin
Christoph Bürgi, oboe Eva von Dach, violin
Franco Tosi, bass/clarinet Raphael Reber, viola
Martin Roos, French horn Tobias Moster, cello
Marc Jacot, bassoon Claudia Brunner, bass
Mary Brock Hess, piano
Erwin Bucher, percussion Michael Erni, percussion
March 23, 1997 (REPEAT PERFORMANCE)
Stans, Canton of NW
Pestalozzi Halle Tandem Points for ten players
Sonnenspur for chamber ensemble
Opening remarks by the composer
Luzerner Kantorei, Henk Geuke, conductor
June 6-8, 1997
16. Zentralschweizer Gesangsfest. Stans, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. Songs for high voices
Juhani Palola, violin
November 6, 1997
University of California Davis
115 Music
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
Daniel Kennedy, marimba and Juhani Palola, violin
November 13, 1997
Festival of New American Music
California State University Sacramento (premiere performance)
Maria A. Niederberger. On Winter's Margin for violin and marimba
Ensemble Plus Classic-Avantgarde, Russia
(Project Passages Européens)
Wladimir Bajdow, conductor
Sergej Machow, flute Dimitrij Trofimowitsch, trumpet
Alexander Schewzow, oboe Alexander Galuza, French horn
Gennadij Zabra, clarinet Wjatscheslaw Tschumatschenko, trumbone
Alexej Frolow, bassoon Dimitrij Tokarew, bass
Michail Konstantinov, percussion
Wladimir Dulow, piano
November 29, 1997
Künstlerhaus Boswil, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. Images for fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, trumpet, trombone, bass, perc, piano (premiere performance)
Robert Bloch, violin
November 14, 1997
(Richard G. Swift's 70th Birthday Concert)
University of California Davis, Room 115 Music
Maria A. Niederberger. A Swift Progression for solo violin (premiere performance)
Holly Boaz and Heather deGroot, sopranos
January 11, 1998
(Sisters in Song)
Midland Center for the Performing Arts, Garden Room
Midland, Michigan
Maria A. Niederberger. Lieder: September, Durch die Wipfel,
D'Chrinnä (premiere performance)
Stans, Ascona, Zürich, Milan, Bern, St. Gallen
April 26, 1998
Festival: Stanser Musiktage. Stans, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger.Vernissage: Musikalische Gedanken und Skizzen für Klavier
(premiere performance)
Juhani Palola, violin
May 2, 1998
Ascona, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
Juhani Palola, violin
May 15, 1998
Zürich, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. Album Pages for solo violin
Massimo Mazzoni, solo saxophone
Esther Flückiger, piano
TBA, marimba
June 9, 1998
Festival: Fra Nord e Sud. Milan, Italy
Maria A. Niederberger.Sounds of Space-Time, originally for clarinet, piano, and marimba
(in a transcription by Massimo Mazzoni for saxophone instead of clarinet)
Patrizio Mazzola, piano
16 September, 1998
FrauenmusikForum Annual Concert
Bern, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger.Vernissage: Musikalische Gedanken und Skizzen für Klavier
Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik
Time TBA
St. Gallen, Switzerland
Maria A. Niederberger. Images for fl. ob, cl, bn, hn, trumpet, trombone, bass, perc, piano