Lecturer
Bachelor of Arts (History), Bachelor of Music
(Composition), University of Melbourne; Master of Music
(Composition), Master of Music (Choral Conducting),
Cleveland Institute of Music; Doctor of Philosophy
(Composition), State University of New York, Buffalo
Consultation Hours: Mondays 9.30 - 11.30am, Thursday 9.30 - 10.30am & Friday 9.30 - 10.30am
Houston Dunleavy was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland,
in 1962. He is Senior Lecturer in Composition at the
University of Wollongong. Since 1985, he has pursued
a national and international career as a composer and
conductor. Leading American contemporary-music authorities
have referred to him as "one of the best of a distinguished
group of young composers to emerge recently", "one
of the leading interpreters of 20th century music in
his generation" and one even commented that "he
will one day, no doubt be a composer of national, maybe
even international reputation". His teachers have
included Peter Tahourdin, Barry Conyngham, Donald Erb,
David Felder and Charles Wuorinen.
He was instructor of music theory and composition at
the National Music Camp, Interlochen, Michigan, USA
in 1989-90 and, after completing his PHD at Buffalo
in 1994, was Guest Artist at The American University
in Washington D.C., and Visiting Composer at James Madison
University in Harrisonburg Virgina, USA. He conducted
the Niagara County (New York) all-county choir in 1994
and has conducted, and had performances of his music,
at the June in Buffalo and North American New Music
Festivals and The National Music Camp, USA. He made
his European debut as both a composer and conductor
in Scotland in 1995, with further performances of his
works in France and Scotland over the following years.
In 1995 he also took up his current post at the University
of Wollongong. In 2000 was appointed Musical Director
of the Illawarra Choral Society.
His compositional interests include music for orchestra,
the theatre (including dance), the voice and the church,
the combination of electroacoustic and acoustic resources
(especially in real time), the exploration of virtuosity
and indigenous Australian music. Dunleavy's commissions
have come from The Geelong Youth Orchestra, The Strnad
(sic) Fellowship, The Church of the Covenant, The University
of Wollongong Singers, The State University of New York,
Buffalo Choir, The Scottish Chamber Orchestra String
Quartet, The University Circle Wind Ensemble, The Cleveland
Youth Wind Symphony and many others. His awards have
included the Florence Bradford Scholarship at The University
of Melbourne, the Beryl Rubenstein Scholarship at the
Cleveland Institute of Music, the Strnad (sic) Fellowship,
induction into the Pi Kappa Lambda international music
honours society, and the Presidential Fellowship at
the State University of New York, Buffalo (three times).
In 2001, he was granted Permanent Residence in Australia.
Late that year his solo flute work Icarus was selected
as a set work for the semi-final round of the Australian
Solo Flute Competition. He was offered Full Representation
status at the Australian Music Centre in early 2002
and his solo piano piece Mediation on Satie has recently
been recorded on the CD Arc of Light by Aaron Macmillian.
After its release in September 2002, the CD was deposited
in the new Library of Alexandria in Egypt as part of
the Australian cultural collection. Along with other
works on the CD, Mediation on Satie will be performed
in Australia and in Egypt. 2002 and 2003 saw performances
of his works in Melbourne, Wollongong and Sydney, Australia,
Buffalo NY and Boston, MA in the USA and broadcasts
of the ABC's "New Music Australia".
In 2003, he was the Visiting Composer at both The University
of Florida at Gainesville and James Madison University
in Virginia, USA and completed works for a number of
professional ensembles. His solo piano work From such
Dreams was premiered at the Chengdu International Contemporary
Music Festival in China by American pianist Kevin Orr.
In 2004, this work, along with the world premiere of
Black and White Spaces for piano and electronics, was
premiered in Australia by Orr. Further premieres of
his Desert Spaces 1, The Lord's Prayer (for choir and
strings) and For Those Who've come Across the Seas (for
orchestra) are scheduled for 2004.
Dunleavy is married to American writer, editor and
self-defence expert, Laura Goodin. They have one daughter,
Margaret, and no spare time.
email: houston_dunleavy@uow.edu.au
|
Houston Dunleavy
Published
Compositions
|
|
