John Allemeier
King's Cross (2006)
Top
Biography
John Allemeier's music has been performed throughout the United States as well as in England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Ireland, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, Turkey and Australia. He received his Ph.D. in Composition from the University of Iowa, his Master of Music in Composition from Northwestern University and his Bachelor of Music in Performance from Augustana College. He has studied in Europe at the 41st and 42nd Internationalen Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, Germany and the 6th International Composition Course in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic.
His music has been programmed on new music festivals such as 5th Annual Festival of New Music – San Francisco, 3er Festival Internacional de Percusiones - Monterrey, Mexico, Russia-America: Music of the XXI Century - Moscow Conservatory, the Seoul International Computer Music Festival and the 7th Brazilian Symposium on Computer Music, on national conferences of the Society of Composers and the Society for Electro Acoustic Music in the United States, and at regional conferences of the College Music Society and the Society of Composers.
John Allemeier’s music is published by Carl Fischer Music Publishers, C. Alan Publications, M. Baker Publications and European American Music. Recordings of his music are available on the Albany, Capstone and Vox Novus labels. He currently teaches composition and music theory at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Top
Program Notes
King’s Cross takes its name from the London Underground tube stop were 26 people were killed in a terror attack on July 7, 2005. There are two contrasting ideas that are the foundation of the piece. The first idea is slow and consists of modal melodic material over pedal tones in the piano. An ascending chromatic line is used as a countermelody to the modal melody. The second idea is faster and more rhythmic. In this faster music, the chromatic line is an important feature but is now inverted. The transition between the two ideas uses combines characteristics of both ideas. Sustained pitches are interrupted with melodic flourishes that foreshadow the melody and tempo of the upcoming section. The slow melody of the first second laments the victims of the kind of violence experienced in New York, Washington, Madrid and London.
Top
Contact
John Allemeier
allemeier@hotmail.com
Friends
Contemporary
Program Notes
Home
Biography
Reviews
Repertoire
Performances
Management
Photos
Discography
Audio/Video
