Grahn, Ulf
Grahn, Ulf
Grahn, Ulf, Swedish composer; b. Solna, Jan. 17, 1942. He studied piano, violin, and composition with Hans Eklund at the Stockholm Citizen’s School (1962-66), and then took various courses at the Stock-holm Musikhogskolan (1966-70). In 1972 he and his wife, the pianist Barbro Dahlman, went to America, where he studied at the Catholic Univ. of America (M.M., 1973). With Dahlman, he founded the Contemporary Music Forum (1974), presenting programs of modern music by American and European composers. He served as its program director until 1984. After teaching at Northern Va. Community Coll. (1975-80), he joined the faculty of George Washington Univ. in Washington, D.C. (1983). He also served as artistic and managing director of the Lake Siljan Music Festival in Sweden (1988-89). In his music, Grahn maintains the golden mean of contemporary idioms, without doctrinaire deviations, scrupulously serving the tastes of the general audience.
Works
BALLET Lux (1972; Stockholm, April 6, 1972). ORCH.: Musica da camera for Chamber Orch. (1964); fancy (1965); Lamento for Strings (1967); 2 syms.: No. 1 (1967) and No. 2 (1983; Stockholm, June 20, 1984); Hommage á Charles Ives for Strings (1968; Trondheim, Feb. 13, 1969); Concerto for Double Bass and Chamber Orch. (1968; Santa Barbara, Calif., Feb. 7, 1973); Joy for Symphonic Band (1969; Stockholm, Feb. 2, 1970); Ancient Music for Piano and Chamber Orch. (1970; Copenhagen, March 20, 1972); A Dream of a Lost Century for Chamber Orch. (1971; Stockholm, June 1, 1972); Concerto for Orchestra (1973; Philadelphia, April 10, 1981); Concertino for Piano and Strings (1979); Rondeau for Chamber Orch. (1980); Guitar Concerto (Reston, Va., June 15, 1985); As Time Passes By (1993); Pezzo (1993); A Tale (1993). CHAMBER: Trio for Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet (1967); This Reminds Me of… for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Trombone, and Percussion (1972; Washington, D.C., Dec. 15, 1975); Soundscapes I for Flute, Bass Clarinet, English Horn, and Percussion (Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 1973), II for Instruments (1974), and III for Flute, Clarinet, Percussion, and Tape (1975); Chamber Concerto for Viola d’Amore and 10 Instruments (1975; Washington, D.C., Jan. 17, 1977); Order-Fragments- Mirror for Flute, Bass Clarinet, Percussion, and Piano (1975); Flute Sonata (1976); Magnolias in Snow for Flute and Piano (1976); String Quartet No. 2 (1979); Floating Landscape for 8 Flutes (1979); Piano Quartet (1980); Summer Deviation for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1981); Images for Bass Clarinet and Marimba (1981); Eldorado for Flute, Violin, Clarinet, Piano, and Baryton (1982); Violin Sonata (1983); Nocturne for Piano Trio and Tape (1987; Washington, D.C., March 7, 1988); 3 Dances with Interludes for 6 Percussionists (1990); Madrigal for 4 Trombones (1991); 3 Water Colors for Horn and Piano (1991); Long shadows on the… for Oboe and Guitar (1998). Piano : Sonata (1980). VOCAL: Soundscapes IV for Soprano, Flute, Bass Clarinet, Percussion, and Piano (1975); Un Coup de des for Soprano and Chamber Ensemble (Washington, D.C., April 20, 1987).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire