Mamlok, Ursula

Mamlok, Ursula, German-born American composer and teacher; b. Berlin, Feb. 1, 1928. She studied piano and composition in childhood in Berlin. After her family went to Ecuador, she continued her training there and then emigrated to the U.S., settling in N.Y. in 1941. In 1945 she became a naturalized American citizen. She studied with Szell at the Mannes Coll. of Music (1942–46) and with Giannini at the Manhattan School of Music (M.M., 1958); also took instruction from Wolpe, Sessions, Steuermann, and Shapey. She taught at N.Y.U. (1967–76), the Manhattan School of Music (from 1968), and Kingsborough Community Coll. (1972–75). She received grants from the NBA in 1974, the American Academy and Inst. of Arts and Letters in 1981 and 1989, and the Martha Baird Rockefeller Foundation in 1982. In 1988 she received a Koussevitzky Foundation commission. In 1989 she received the Walter Hinrichsen Award of the American Academy and Inst. of Arts and Letters. In 1995 she held a Guggenheim fellowship. Her works reveal a fine craftsmanship, lyricism, and wit; in a number of her works she utilizes serial techniques.

Works

orch.:Concerto for Strings (1950); Grasshoppers: 6 Humoresques (1957); Oboe Concerto (1974; also for Oboe, 2 Pianos, and Percussion); Concertino for Wind Quintet, 2 Percussion, and Strings (1987); Constellations (1993; San Francisco, Feb. 9, 1994). chamber:Wind Quintet (1956); Sonatina for 2 Clarinets (1957); Variations for Flute (1961); Designs for Violin and Piano (1962); 2 string quartets (1962; 1996–97); Composition for Cello or Viola (1962); Concert Piece for 4 for Flute, Oboe, Percussion, and Viola (1964); Music for Viola and Harp (1965); Capriccios for Oboe and Piano (1968); Polyphony for Clarinet (1968); Variations and Interludes for Percussion Quartet (1971); Sextet for Flute, Violin, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Double Bass, and Piano (1978); Festive Sounds for Wind Quintet (1978); When Summer Sang for Flute, Clarinet, Piano, Violin, and Cello (1980); Panta Rhei for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1981); From My Garden for Violin or Viola (1983); Fantasie Variations for Cello (1983); Alariana for Recorder or Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Violin, and Cello (1985); 3 Bagatelles for Harpsichord (1987); Bagatelles for Clarinet, Violin, and Cello (1988); Rhapsody, trio for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano (1989); Violin Sonata (1989); Girasol, sextet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1990); Music for Stony Brook for Flute, Violin, and Cello (1990); 5 Intermezzi for Guitar (1991); Polarities for Flute, Violin, Cello, and Piano (1995). piano:Various didactic pieces, including 6 Recital Pieces for Children (1983) and 4 Recital Pieces for Young Pianists (1983). vocal:Daybreak for Soprano or Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1948); 4 German Songs for Soprano or Mezzo-soprano and Piano (1957); Stray Birds for Soprano, Flute, and Cello (1963); Haiku Settings for Soprano and Flute (1967); Der Andreas Garten for Mezzo-soprano, Flute, Alto Flute, and Harp (1987). tape:Sonar Trajectory (1966).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire