Release Date: 01 December 2004
Label: Naxos / Naxos Classics
Packaging Type: Jewel Case
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 636943922521
Genres: Classical
Composer/Series: MCKAY
Description
George Frederick McKay (1899-1970)Violin Concerto Suite on Sixteenth Century Hymn TunesSinfonietta No.4 Song over the Great PlainsGeorge Frederick McKay, known as the Dean ofNorthwest Composers and revered Professor of Music atthe University of Washington for 41 years, from 1927 to1968, was born to a pioneering family in the smallwheat-farming community of Harrington, Washingtonon 11th June, 1899. He spent most of his childhood inSpokane where his father worked as a farmland surveyorfor a local bank, and began composing orchestral musicas early as his high school years. His father did notapprove of a career in music, and he was encouraged toenroll at Washington State College at Pullman to earn abusiness degree. In 1919, weary of this, he transferred tothe University of Washington, Seattle, where he beganseriously studying music and composition with CarlPaige Wood. Two years later a scholarship allowed himto study composition with Christian Sinding and SelimPalmgren at the Eastman School of Music at Rochester,New York, earning the first composition degree awardedthere. His first published compositions were written andpublished during this time.After his graduation from Eastman in 1923, McKayembarked on a teaching career that included posts inNorth Carolina, South Dakota, and Missouri and finallyat what became his permanent professorship at theUniversity of Washington, Seattle. There he becamerecognized over the span of four decades as anoutstanding teacher, composer and leader in thepropagation of American music. His works were widelyperformed and broadcast under some of the mostdistinguished conductors. He was the recipient of manyhonours during his lifetime, including his twice holdingthe Alchin Chair at the University of Southern California(1938-39). He received important commissions fromnational orchestras, and was awarded national prizes forharp, woodwind, piano, organ and symphoniccompositions. McKay was equally successful as ateacher, with students including William Bolcom, EarlRobinson, John Cage and Goddard Lieberson. He diedin 1970 at his home in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.In 1941 George Frederick McKay entered hisrecently composed Violin Concerto in the HeifetzCompetition, newly established by Jascha Heifetz andthe music publisher Carl Fischer. By 1940, when hewrote his Violin Concerto, McKay was an establishedcomposer who could point to many performances andbroadcasts by some of the great musicians of the day.His position at the University of Washington in Seattle,however, far removed from the musical centres of thenortheast, meant that he was still seen as an artist oflargely local significance. McKay, like other competitors,hoped that success would give his work the kind ofbroad national exposure that only a world famous artistcould give it. Though McKay's work received anhonourable mention and was praised by Heifetz, it failedto capture the top prize, which went to Gail Kubik'sViolin Concerto No. 2. McKay's concerto shares strongformal af
Tracklisting
Dariia Lytvishko
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop
Alice Di Piazza; Basel Sinfonietta; NDR Bigband; Titus Engel
Anna Alas i Jove; Miquel Villalba
David Childs; Black Dyke Band; Nicholas Childs
Yaqi Yang; Margarita Parsamyan; Robynne Redmon; Minghao Liu; Frank Ragsdale; Kim Josephson; Kevin S
Vilmos Csikos; Olivier Lechardeur; Manon Lamaison
Tomas Cotik; Martingale Ensemble; Ken Selden
