Ghezzo, Dinu

Ghezzo, Dinu, Romanian-born American composer, conductor, and teacher; b. Tuzla, July 2, 1941. He took courses in music education and conducting (diploma, 1964), and in composition (diploma, 1966), at the Bucharest Cons., and then completed his training at the Univ. of Calif, at Los Angeles (Ph.D. in composition, 1973). In 1978 he became a naturalized American citizen. From 1974 to 1976 he was an asst. prof, at Queens Coll. of the City Univ. of N.Y. He served as director of the New Repertory Ensemble of N.Y. from 1975 to 1988. In 1977 he became a prof. of music at N.Y.U. He also was composer-in- residence at the Univ. of Wise, in Madison in 1995. His music is in a thoroughly contemporary style.

Works

ORCH Thalia for Piano and 17 Players (1974); Concertino for Clarinet and Symphonic Wind Ensemble (1975); Celebrations for Chamber Orch. and Tape (1980); 7 Short Pieces for Chamber Orch. (1981); Sketches for Clarinet and Chamber Orch. (1981); Echoes of Romania for Strings (1990). CHAMBER: Clarinet Sonata (1967); String Quartet (1967); Kanones II for 6 Players (1978); Aphorisms for Clarinet and Piano (1981); Nonetto (1982); Structures for Cello and Piano (1982); Sound Shapes I 5 studies for Wind Player (1984) and II, 5 pieces for Brass Player (1985); From Here to…There for 6 Players (1986); Elegies for Violin and Cello (1989). MIXED MEDIA: Freedom for Clarinet, Piano, Chamber Ensemble, and Tape (1990); Ostrom I for Quartet, Slides, and Tape (1990) and II for 6 to 18 Players (1990). VOCAL: Letters to Walt Whitman for Soprano, Clarinet, and Piano (1983); 2 Prayers for Soprano and Tape (1988); A Book of Songs for Soprano, Chamber Group, and Tape (1989).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire