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The author, composer and conductor Emmanuel Gyimah Labi is a music professor at Essex County
College, Newark, NJ. Born in 1950 in Accra, Ghana, he was educated at the Achimota School in Accra,
subsequently taking a BA in music and philosophy from University of Ghana, Legon (1973-76),
an MM degree in Theory and Composition from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaine (1977-79),
and a DMA degree in Theory/Composition from College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Ohio.
His output includes: 2 Symphonies; Fantasia #2 for Orchestra (Tunes of
the Fisherfolks); String Quartet No. 1 (At the Immaculate Beehive); Trio
in 5 movements for Flute, Bass Clarinet & Piano (Visions of Space); 3
Duets for Violin & Piano; Timpani Concertino (Ancient Perspective-3); 2
Pieces for Unaccompanied Tuba, as well as 6 Dialects in African Pianism.
The composer’s works have been performed at these venues: Johannesburg,
Cape Town (Republic of South Africa); Munich, Wultzburg, Dresden (Germany); Vancouver, Toronto (Canada); Liverpool, London (England); New
Jersey, Massachusetts, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Vashon, WA,
Wiston-Salem, etc. - here in the United States.
ACTIVITIES AND CURRENT EVENTS
Dr Labi writes:
- My book entitled "AFRICAN MUSIC THEORY" has been currently published
by the Instutute of African Studies Press of the University of
Bayreuth. It is being distributed by Amazon.Com and Eckhard Breitinger,
Producer/Editor, Bayreuth University, P. O. Box 10 1251, 8580 Bayreuth,
Germany.
- 2002 Aspects of my musical style have been presented by Anne LeBaron
in an article entitled: "Reflections of Surrealism in Postmodern
Musics." It appears in POSTMODERN MUSIC/POSTMODERN THOUGHT (edited by
Judy Lochhead and Joseph Auner), Routledge Publishers, 2002, pp. 27-74.
- 2002 My contributions to contemporary African art music are included
in Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Music in an essay entitled:
Art Music in a Cross-Cultural Context: The Case of Africa by Martin
Scherzinger of Eastman School of Music
- 2001 Biographical information of mine appears online in the New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians: (http://www.grovemusic.com)
- April 1, 2001 the St, Louis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of
Maestro Leon Burke premiered my Symphony-Concertante for 3-pianos and
Orchestra
- May 3, 2001 My "Timpani Concertino ? Ancient Perspective-3" received
its German debut at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium in Munich. This
program was organized by Professor Harald Lilmayer of the Konservatorium
- March - November 2001 Professor David Hotlzman, a Manhattan concert
pianist has performed some of my Dialects in African Pianism at Long
Island, NY at CW Post (a subsidiary of Long Island University) and on
Monday 26 of March, then in Queensborough Community College, NY as well
as on the 6th of May 2001, at the Afrocam Art Museum in Tenafly, NJ.
- November 18, 2001 Some of my works were performed in Dresden
University, Germany on the 18th of November 2001. This concert was
organized by Professor Klauss Stahmer of that university.
- November 2000 Ensemble Noir Incorporated (Registered Charity) 53 Beck
Avenue, Toronto M4C 4L4 ON. Canada- Advisory Committee-Member.
- Summer 2001 Essex County College, Newalk, NJ - Adjunct Professor in
Western music appreciation, Jazz appreciation and ear-training, and
sight-singing
- 1988-June 1997 - University of Ghana, Legon. Courses Taught:
theory/composition, history of music, analytic techniques,
ethnomusicology, anthropology of music, popular-music studies, cultural
studies in music, orchestration, ear training as well as in World music
at the undergraduate and graduate levels
- 1990-September 1997 - Ghana National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
Functioned as the assistant conductor and eventually its
director/conductor in 1997
Contact details and further information
E-mail Emmanuel Gyimah Labi
For details of some of Emmanuel Gyimah Labi's compositions, see Sibelius website
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