Robert Greenberg

Robert Greenberg
Robert M. Greenberg (born April 18, 1954) is an American composer, pianist, and musicologist who was born in Brooklyn, New York. He has composed more than 50 works for a variety of instruments and voices, and has recorded a number of lecture series on music history and music appreciation for The Great Courses.
Biography
Greenberg earned a B.A. in music (magna cum laude) from Princeton University and received a Ph.D. in music composition from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied with Olly Wilson. He has served on the faculties of UC Berkeley, California State University, East Bay, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he was chairman of the Department of Music History and Literature and Director of the Adult Extension Division. Greenberg is the music historian in residence with San Francisco Performances, and he hosts their Saturday morning series of lecture–performances with the Alexander String Quartet.
Greenberg has received numerous awards, including three Nicola De Lorenzo Prizes in composition, and three Meet the Composer grants. Additionally, he has received commissions from the Koussevitzky Foundation of the Library of Congress, the Alexander String Quartet, XTET, and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
A number of his works have been performed in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and the Netherlands. His music was published by the now defunct Fallen Leaf Press and CPP/Belwin (now part of Alfred Publishing Company) and is recorded on the Innova Recordings label.
Greenberg has lectured for some of the most prestigious musical and arts organizations in the United States. He is the resident composer and music historian for National Public Radio's Weekend All Things Considered.
Greenberg has recorded a number of lecture series for The Great Courses on music history and the appreciation of music. He often relates musical topics to other subjects, such as history and politics, as well as to music from other periods. Referring to Greenberg's lively style and sense of humor, the Bangor Daily News has described him as "the Elvis of music history and appreciation."
He is an artistic adviser at Composers, Inc.
Selected compositions
A complete list of compositions is given on the composer's official web site. Selected compositions and notes are given below:
Breaths, Voices and Cadenze (1981) String quartet #1
By various means (1983) for clarinet quartet
Passacaglia
Theme and variations
Chaconne
Quasi un madrigale (1985) four Italian songs for soprano and piano
Il palatino / Aldo Palazzeschi
Poesia d'amore / Salvatore Quasímodo
La trombettina / Corrado Govoni
Quasi un madrigale / Salvatore Quasímodo
Child's Play (1988) String quartet #2 "...which captures the imaginative and playful energy of his daughter Rachel (then two years old)."
I. Games (fast) 8:06
II. Intermezzo: Dreams of Gold (Sogni d'oro) (slow) 5:35
III. Dances (very fast) 6:51
The Passing Years (1989) five songs for baritone and piano
God gave me
East Broadway
The passing years
Rabbi Elimelech
At my wedding
It Don't Mean a Thing (1990) for percussion sextet "...combines the sounds and style of Japanese Taiko drumming with the rhythmic swing of Duke Ellington."
In Shape (1990) concerto in three movements for two pianos and marimba
Wedge
Labyrinth
Spike
Dude ‘Tudes (1991) for solo piano "...attempts to transfer into sound some of the many moods and activities of his 22-month-old son Samuel."
I. Orneriness/Contrary motion
II. Building blocks/Chords 'n' stuff
III. Dreams of play/Trills and tremolos
IV. Dancin' fool/Quarter-minute waltz
V. Angel's hair/Legato
VI. Cruisin' with the dude/Octaves-R-Us.
Iron balconies and lilies (1992) for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, violoncello, soprano, and piano
Prelude: A city by the sea / Anna Margolin
Youth: Hay mowing / Moyshe Kulbak; When Grandma, may she rest in peace, died / Moyshe Kulbak
Love songs: Longing / Rachel Korn; Ancient murdress night / Anna Margolin
Children: If I had the Emperor's might, Lullaby / Traditional Folk song; Toys / Abraham Sutskever
Age: Old age / Jacob Gladstein; Rest / Jacob Isaac segal
On Trial (1994) concerto for solo vibraphone, flute, clarinet, bassoon, piano, violin, viola, and violoncello
Among Friends (1995) String quartet #3. Commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation
Funny Like a Monkey (2001) for piano quartet (string trio PLUS piano) "...coined by my 15-year-old daughter in order to address ... attempts at humor by both her younger brother and her hopelessly antiquated father."
I. Knock Yourself Out
II. Flutterby
III. Morph (with apologies to J. B.)
References
External links
Robert Greenberg bio at The Great Courses. Includes list of Greenberg's courses.
Robert Greenberg bio at Keynote Speakers
1954 births
Living people
20th-century American Jews
Musicians from Brooklyn
American male composers
20th-century American composers
American musicologists
California State University, East Bay faculty
Pupils of Edward T. Cone
20th-century American pianists
American male pianists
21st-century American pianists
20th-century American male musicians
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American Jews