Alice Shields

Alice Shields (born Alice Ferree Shields, Manhattan, New York, February 18, 1943) is an American classical composer. She is one of the pioneers of electronic music, and is particularly known for her cross-cultural operas.
Her work is influenced by non-Western forms of music drama including Indian Bharata Natyam and Japanese Noh Theater, and has been performed by the New York City Opera VOX Festival of New American Operas, the Akademie der Künste and SAVVY-Contemporary in Berlin, the Venice Biennale, NYC-Electroacoustic Music Festival, American Chamber Opera Company, The Composers Chamber Theater, The American Virtuosi Baroque Opera Co., Association for the Promotion of New Music, New York Consort of Viols, American Composers Alliance, Ensemble Pi, Iktus Percussion, Dance Alloy (Pittsburgh), and the Arangham Dance Theater (India).
Education
Shields earned three degrees from Columbia University including the Doctor of Musical Arts in music composition, studying with Vladimir Ussachevsky, Jack Beeson, Otto Luening and Chou Wen-Chung. She served as Associate Director of the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center and Director for Development of the Columbia University Computer Music Center. She has taught the psychology of music as Professor of Psychology at New York University and lectures on the psychology of music at institutions including the Santa Fe Opera, CUNY Center for Developmental Neuroscience, International Society for Research on Emotion, American Psychological Association and the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis.
Musical career
As a performer, Shields has been a professional opera singer, performing both traditional and modern roles with the New York City Opera, Metropolitan Opera At-The-Forum, Washington National Opera, Clarion Music Society, Wolf Trap Opera, the Lake George Opera Festival and other opera companies. She was one of the first recipients of the George London award supporting the development of young opera singers.
During the 1990s she intensively studied and performed South Indian Bharata Natyam dance-drama as a vocalist, performing nattuvangam, a form of South Indian rhythmic recitation with the Swati Bhise Bharata Natyam Dance Company, at venues including the United Nations, Asia Society and Wesleyan University. All Shields' compositions since 2000 reflect her immersion in Indian classical music and drama. Since 2016 Shields has been involved in the study of Noh theater with Noh performer Mayo Miwa, with whom she has collaborated on works using aspects of traditional Noh Theater.
Alice Shields' work is published by the American Composers Alliance: , and is recorded on Koch International Classics, New World, CRI, American Composers Alliance Recordings, Tellus, Opus One and Albany Records.
Musical works
Opera
JACK DUNNE'S’ REVENGE (1966) – opera in 1 act for 2 singers & chamber orchestra; libretto & choreography by Shields in Middle English and Renaissance English, on the death-obsessed writings of John Donne & medieval English plays
The ODYSSEY of ULYSSES the PALMIPED (Odyssey 1) (1968) – opera in 1 act for 2 singers, male chorus & 4 instruments; libretto by Shields based on Roger Gilbert-LeConte's Dada play The Odyssey of Ulysses the Palmiped
ODYSSEY 2 (1970) – opera in 1 act for 2 singers, male chorus, piano & percussion; libretto & choreography by Shields in Noh Theater style; based on the Egyptian Book of the Dead and Roger Gilbert-LeConte's Dada play "The Odyssey of Ulysses the Palmiped": two men aggress against each other
ODYSSEY 3 (1975) – opera in 1 act for 2 singers, male chorus & 21-piece chamber orchestra; libretto & choreography by Shields in Noh Theater style; on language from the Homeric Odyssey: Odysseus meets his son Telemachos without recognizing him, and tricks him
SHAMAN (1987) – opera in 1 act for 4 singers, chorus, 4 instruments & fixed audio media; libretto by Shields & Edward Barrett based on Native American shamanism
WRAECCA (1989) – opera in 1 act for 3 singers, cello & piano, based on Gregorian Chant & Anglo-Saxon poems; libretto by Shields, in which the god Odin manages to sacrifice himself
KOMACHI AT SEKIDERA (1990) – opera in 1 act for soprano, alto flute & koto; libretto by Shields based on the Noh play Sekidera Komachi
MASS FOR THE DEAD (1992) – opera in 1 act for 4 singers, chorus, 4 instruments & fixed audio media; libretto by Shields set in Latin, Greek and English, based on a ghost story & the Requiem Mass
SHIVATANZ (1993) – opera in 1 act for mezzo-soprano and fixed audio media; libretto by Shields based on traditional Sanskrit hymn to the god Shiva, and poem to Devi in Hindi by Shields
APOCALYPSE (1994) – opera in 2 acts for 3 singers, chorus, dancers, electric guitar, electronic keyboard & fixed audio media; libretto by Shields based on Greek, Gaelic, and Sanskrit texts; choreography by Shields in Bharata Natyam style
CRISEYDE (2010) – opera in 2 acts for 4 singers, ensemble of 3 singers & 14 solo instruments; the libretto by Shields is a feminist reworking of Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde, sung in Middle English or in Shields' adaptation in Modern English.
ZHAOJÜN – The Woman Who Saved the World (2018) – opera in 1 act for soprano, baritone & 7 instruments; libretto by Shields, inspired by ancient Chinese poetry & plays: to stop environmental destruction & create universal peace, Zhaojün steps out of ancient times into the 21st century to confront the Emperor, the modern ruler of the world.
Instrument or Voice with Electronics
El's Aria (1982), for soprano, flute & fixed audio media. Music and words by Shields. Created for the Gageego Ensemble.
Rhapsody for Piano and Tape (Hommage to Brahms) (1983), for live pianist & fixed audio. The live pianist plays against electronically manipulated piano sounds based on Brahms’ Piano Concerto No.2. Created for pianist Yoland Liepa.
The Black Lake (1984), for tenor, cello & fixed audio. Text by Edward Barrett in which a shaman wanders through the sounds of the night.
Nightway I (1989) theater piece for ensemble of actors & fixed audio. Music and libretto by Shields based on Navajo Nightchant ceremony.
Nightway II (1989) theater piece for 2 singers & fixed audio. Music and libretto by Shields on texts by Franklin Reeve and Shields, based on Navajo Nightchant ceremony.
Azure (2003) for flute, violin, viola, cello & fixed audio, in Todi raga. Created for the Azure Ensemble.
Mioritza — Requiem for Rachel Corrie (2004) for solo trombone & fixed audio, with poem by Shields. Commissioned by trombonist Monique Buzzarté.
Kyrielle (2005) for solo violin and fixed audio, based on Gregorian chants associated with the Virgin Mary. Commissioned by violinist Airi Yoshioka.
The River of Memory (2008) for solo trombone & fixed audio. Commissioned by trombonist Monique Buzzarté.
The River of Memory (2020) version for solo trumpet & fixed audio, for trumpeter Sam Wells
Vocal and Instrumental
Two Amerindian Poems (1965) for 2 unaccompanied voices, on Native American poems
Three Songs on Poems of Samuel Beckett (1965) for voice & cello
Sow (as in“pig”) (1966) cantata for mezzo-soprano, baritone, 2 choruses & chamber ensemble, based on Medieval English mystery plays
Wildcat Songs (1966) for soprano & piccolo, in English, based on Native American shaman's song
Spring Music (1967) for soprano, trumpet & oboe, on poem of Ronald Johnson
The Storyteller (1967) cantata for bass-baritone and orchestra, on Native American story
Richard III: Speeches for Male Actor, Trumpet and Drum (1968) incidental music for Shakespeare's “Richard III”
Incidental Music for Solo Singer in Strindberg’s “The Father” (1968) incidental music for theater
Neruda Songs (1981) for soprano & cello, in English, on poems of Pablo Neruda
Levertov Songs (1986) for mezzo-soprano & viola, on poems by Denise Levertov
Aurora. (1987) for violin & oboe
Incidental Music for “Woyzeck” for Four Actor-Singers (1988), incidental music for four singers for Georg Büchner’s play “Woyzeck”, in English.
Ave (1989) music-drama in one act for unaccompanied mezzo-soprano & baritone
Rani tero (2002) for alto, four viols & tambura, on traditional poem in Hindi, in raga Puria Dhaneshri
From the Ocean of Beauty – Saundarya Lahari (2006) for flute, viola & harp
Hindustani Songs (2013) three songs for soprano & piano, on traditional Indian melodies
Namasté (2013) for mezzo-soprano & piano, on traditional Indian poem
Larynx (2018) for piccolo, piano & three percussionists
The Wind in the Pines (2018) for soprano, alto recorder, alto flute, Renaissance bray harp, oud & percussion(1), based on the Noh play Matsukaze; commissioned by Chamber Music America
Electronic / Fixed Audio Media
Electronic Cues for Sam Shepard’s Radio Plays “Icarus” and “4-H Club" (1966) directed by Sam Shepard & Omar Shapli, with featured actor Joseph Chaikin, for Riverside Radio (WRVR)
Electronic Cues for Robert Ward’s opera “The Crucible” (1966) composed assisting Vladimir Ussachevsky, with Shields’ electronically manipulated singing voice, for performances at the Lake George Opera Festival
Walking on the Surface of the Sun (1967) electronic music
My Feathers are Growing Longer (1967) electronic music for modern dance
Electronic Cues to Marvin Levy’s opera “Mourning Becomes Electra” (1967) composed assisting Vladimir Ussachevsky, for the Metropolitan Opera premiere at Lincoln Center of Marvin Levy's opera “Mourning Becomes Electra”, using Shields’ electronically manipulated singing voice; conducted by Zubin Mehta
Line of Apogee (1967) electronic film score composed with Vladimir Ussachevsky & Pril Smiley for the psychedelic film “Line of Apogee” by Lloyd Williams
Incredible Voyage (1967) the first feature-length electronic music score for television; composed with Vladimir Ussachevsky, Otto Luening & Pril Smiley for CBS-TV documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite
The Witches’ Scenes from Macbeth (1968) electronic incidental music for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (Conn.), directed by John Houseman
Study for Voice and Tape (1969) Shields' recorded voice sings; on poem by Shields
The Transformation of Ani (1970) Shields' recorded voice chants and sings from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
We (1970) electronic score for radio play of Yevgeny Zamiatin's 1920's futurist novel, for the Canadian Broadcasting System, composed with Vladimir Ussachevsky
Farewell to a Hill (1975) bells, the cries of mallard ducks and electronic sounds; the first quadraphonic recording of electronic music (released by Atlantic Records)
Listening (1976). Electronic music to accompany art therapy sessions
Sitar (1978), fixed audio
Coyote (1979), fixed audio. Wolf-calls, coyotes and manipulated human voices
Shivra (1985), fixed audio
Devouring Woman (1986), fixed audio
Incidental Music for “Woyzeck” for Four Actor-Singers (1988) theatrical incidental music for Georg Büchner's play “Woyzeck"
Voices (1989), fixed audio. Computer-synthesized voices created on the SUN computer using sampled Gregorian chant.
The Red Woman (An Bean Rua) (1993) for female actor & fixed audio media; English & recorded Irish poem by Shields
The Lament of the Fairies (Port Na bPucai) (1993) fixed audio with recorded voice singing in Irish; from the West Coast of Ireland. Voice by Virginia Shields.
Newgrange (1993) for prerecorded soprano & fixed audio. The text in Old Irish is an inscription from the ancient tombs at Newgrange in Ireland. Voice by Virginia Shields.
Snow (1993) for male actor & fixed audio media; on the poem “Snow,” by Greg Muirhead; the live narrator speaks of a homeless man frozen to death in the snow
Hier Spukt Es, Fragile Breakfast, and Sparkling Brains: Three Animations created on Macromedia Director and KPT Bryce (1995–1996) poems and graphics by Alice Shields
Vegetable Karma (1999) in Todi raga, with sounds sampled from hiphop
Dust (2001) in Madhuwanti raga & Todi raga, with traditional Bharata Natyam jethi-s (rhythmic cycles)
Shenandoah (2002) for modern dance, based on oral histories of recent immigrants to the Shenandoah Valley
The Mud Oratorio (2003) for modern dance, on two Nature Conservancy swamps
White Heron Dance (2017) electronic music, with optional video & optional live Noh Theater dancer, based on the Japanese Sagi Mai ritual: a human being experiences a moment of union with the sounds of nature
In the summer garden, Sappho reads to her friends (2021), electronic music with Shield's recorded voice, with poetry by Sappho in ancient Greek. Commissioned by SAVVY-Contemporary, Berlin, for their project "HERE HISTORY BEGAN: Tracing the Re/Verberations, Vibrations, and Echoes of Halim El-Dabh" funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes), the Goethe Institut and MaerzMusik – Festival für Zeitfragen. Premiere: Oct.24, 2021, SAVVY-Contemporary, Berlin, Germany.
Discography
Farewell to a Hill, Atlantic Records (Finnadar), the first quadraphonic recording of electronic music – 1975
Wildcat Songs, Opus One Records #13 Stephanie Kurash, soprano; Paul Dunkel, piccolo – 1976
Neruda Songs, Opus One Records #83 Johanna Arnold, soprano; Andre Emilianoff, cello – 1983
Coyote, Composers Recordings Inc. CRI#495 From the electronic opera SHAMAN, with Shields' voice – 1984
Voices, Tellus #22 Created on the SUN computer, using sampled Gregorian chant – 1988
Rhapsody for Piano and Tape (Hommage to Brahms), Opus One Records #94 Yolanda Liepa, piano – 1984
Line of Apogee, New World Records #80389, composed assisting Vladimir Ussachevsky – 1991
El's Aria, Opus One records #90, aria for soprano, flute and fixed audio media from the opera SHAMAN – 1987
Apocalypse – An Electronic Opera New World Records #NWCR647, with Michael Willson, baritone; Alice Shields, mezzo-soprano & Jim Matus, electric guitar – 1993
Study for Voice and Tape, Dance Piece No.3, New World Records #80521, sung by Shields – 1997
Komachi at Sekidera, Koch International Classics #3-7503-2111 – 2001
The Transformation of Ani, New World Records #80644 (digital re-issue from 1970)- 2006
Organ Screaming & Dawn Wind, New World Records #NWCR670, from the opera Apocalypse, sung by Shields – 2007
Shenandoah – Three Electronic Works Albany Records #TROY699 – 2004
The Transformation of Ani, New World Records #NWCRL268 – 2010
Kyrelle, Albany Records #TROY1305, for violin & fixed audio media, with Airi Yoshioka, violin
White Heron Dance, ACA Recordings #USA-ACA193428351646; based on the Japanese Sagi Mai ritual: a human being experiences a moment of union with the sounds of nature – 2018
Filmography
Cycle of Apples (2019), a collaboration between Shields and Maha Al-Saati. The film includes the opera pieces Agnus Dei (1992), Criseyde's Dream (2008), Quartet for Piano and Percussion (2016), The River of Memory for trombone & electronics (2016).
White Heron Dance (2017), video with electronic music by Shields and computer animation by Mayo Miwa and Thomas Barratt. Created for experimental live dance collaboration with Noh Theater performer Mayo Miwa. Premiere: Association for the Promotion for the Promotion of New Music, National Opera Center, 2017.
Hier Spukt Es, Fragile Breakfast, and Sparkling Brains (1994), three computer animations and poems by Shields in German, on video. Created on Macromedia Director and KPT Bruce software. Premiere: February 17, 1996 at Harvestworks Benefit, Pseudo Gallery, Soho, NYC.
Bicycle Music (1977), electronic score for film on the work of sculptor Helene Brandt, using as musical instruments Brandt’s sculptures made out of bicycles along with the voices of audiences viewing her sculptures. Filmmaker: Tom Coyne. Premiere: State University of New York Stony Brook Staller Center for the Arts.
Line of Apogee (1968), electronic score composed with Vladimir Ussachevsky, Otto Luening and Pril Smiley for psychedelic film by Lloyd Williams. Premiere: McMillin Theatre, Columbia University.
Incredible Voyage (1967), the first feature-length electronic score for television, composed with Vladimir Ussachevsky, Otto Luening and Pril Smiley for CBS-TV documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite in which a tiny camera inserted in the human body films the inner workings of the kidney, stomach, eye, etc.
References
External links
Alice Shields official site
Video Archive
"Women in Sound Art: Seven Musical Micro-Portraits"
"Women Composers and Music Technology in the United States: Crossing the Line " by Elizabeth Hinkle-Turner
"The Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center"
"Women and music technology: pioneers, precedents and issues in the United States"
YouTube
SoundCloud
Vimeo
1943 births
20th-century classical composers
21st-century American composers
21st-century classical composers
American classical composers
American women classical composers
American electronic musicians
American opera composers
Columbia University School of the Arts alumni
Living people
Women in classical music
American women in electronic music
Women opera composers
20th-century American women musicians
20th-century American composers
21st-century American women musicians
20th-century women composers
21st-century women composers