Yim, Jay Alan

Yim, Jay Alan, American composer and teacher; b. St. Louis, April 24, 1958. He studied composition with Peter Racine Fricker and Gordon Crosse at the Univ. of Calif. at Santa Barbara (1976-80), with Justin Connolly at the Royal Coll. of Music in London (1980; M.Mus., 1981), and with Earl Kim, Donald Martino, and Peter Maxwell Davies at Harvard Univ. (1982-84; Ph.D., 1989). From 1984 to 1988 he held a teaching fellowship at Harvard Univ., and then joined the faculty of Northwestern Univ. in 1989. He led composition seminars in Amsterdam, Berlin, and San Diego in 1996, and at the Peabody Cons, of Music in Baltimore in 1998. In 1995-96 he was a Composer-Fellow for the Chicago Sym. Orch. Yim′s music creates highly energetic sound worlds with touches of advanced impressionism.

Works

orch: Askesis (1980-81; rev. 1987; Amsterdam, Sept. 11,1988); Karénas for Double String Orch., Harp, and Antique Cymbals (1986; Tanglewood, Aug. 5, 1987); Geometry and Delirium for Amplified Small Chamber Orch. and Electronics (1987-89; London, March 18, 1989); Pictures from the Water Trade for Oboe and Orch. (Cambridge, Mass., May 6,1989); Rain Palace for Oboe, English Horn, and Orch. (1993); Rough Magic (1996-97; Chicago, Jan. 30, 1997). CHAMBER: Piak for 2 Oboes, 2 English Horns, 2 Bassoons, and Contrabassoon (1981); Autumn Rhythm for String Quartet (1984-85); Moments of Rising Mist for 7 Players (1984-86); Sea Urchin Harakiri for 5 Players (1986; rev. 1990); Becalmed on Strange Waters for Clarinet and 9 Strings (1989); Zazanza for 10 Players (1989); Radiant Shadows for Percussion Ensemble (1991); Song in Memory of a Circle for Flute and Electronics (1992); Broken Prisms for 7 Players (1995); Escape Velocity, series of pieces for Different Wind Instruments (1995); Orenda for Cello, 2 Bows, and Live Electronics (1995-97); Twine (Escape Velocity 2.1) for Quarter-tone Flute and Prepared Marimba (1997-98; rev. 1999); Circle Song for Alto Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet (1997-98). KEYBOARD: Piano: Timescreen 1 and 2 (1983-84); :[ten]dril (1999). VOCAL: Eastern Windows for Soprano, Harp, and Strings (1981; rev. 1985); LHOOQ for Soprano and 7 Players (1990).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire