James Ricci New Music Composer

New music composer James Ricci was born in New York City in 1954. He began his career as an all-around musician, initially studying with jazz guitarist Steve Khan, and performing in a wide variety of musical styles that ranged from atonal free-form jazz to psychedelic rock. This eclecticism spurred a wider interest in the multifaceted world of contemporary music - fired by the crosscurrents and experimentation of the 1960’s and 70’s era avant garde.

After receiving initial training at Juilliard in 1972, Ricci moved to Boston and attended the Berklee College of Music where he obtained a degree in music composition (B.M.1976). Further studies and advanced degrees followed at the New England Conservatory (M.M. 1980 with distinction) and at Brandeis University (M.F.A. 1986, Ph.D. ABD).

Ricci's principal composition teachers were Donald Martino and Martin Boykan, and he has participated in diverse seminars and master classes both in Europe and the United States. He worked with Milton Babbitt at the Indiana University Composer's Forum and at the Yale Norfolk Summer School of Music with Elliott Carter and others.

For a number of years Ricci was an active "bell ringer" at Boston's Old North Church and was awarded a Sachar travel grant in1984 to study English Change Ringing. His music has been performed by Irina Chirkova, Jan Insinger, Kenneth Radnofsky, Wouter Schmidt, Wilma Smith, the Lydian String Quartet, the QX String Quartet, the Xanthos Ensemble, Duo Atlantica, the LUMEN Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Annex Players, Solar Winds, and pianists Martin Amlin, Donald Berman, John McDonald, and Janice Weber. New Music Connoisseur described Ricci’s Sonatina for solo viola as “…cleverly expressed, while the string writing is emotive, showy, and telling--a fine listen.”

Ricci was nominated three times for an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His newly completed pieces include Tone Poem for Orchestra, Petite Suite for Violoncello, a Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, a Woodwind Quintet, and an assortment of diverse chamber music. Ricci is a co-director of the LUMEN Contemporary Music Ensemble.

Artist’s Statement:

“Although music is by nature elusive, amazingly diverse, and difficult to discuss, I find it to be a potent means of interpersonal communication and enlightenment. For me, the act of musical composition is a lifelong process of musical development and self-exploration, and I strive to share the results of this experience with anyone who will listen to my work. My music has evolved over the past three decades, and it continues to develop and assert itself - as if it had a mind of its own.”

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List of Works:

DodeKagon (1975) for Clarinet

Performed by Larry Scripp (Annex Players) at Mass. College of Art, 1975

Quintet (1976) for Fl., Cl., Vln., Vla. and Vlc.

String Trio (1977) for Vln., Vla., and Vlc.

The Frog Prince (1977) for Soprano and Bassoon (Text from "Transformations" by Anne Sexton)

Shadows of Synchronicity (1977) for Fl., Ob., Cl., Tpt., Trb., Vln, Vla, Vlc, Pno, and Perc.

Performed at NEC Composers Concert, Jordan Hall, 1978

Three Taoist Songs (1978) for Soprano and Clarinet

Performed at NEC Composers’ concert, 1979

The Round and the Square (1978) for Violin and Piano

Invention (1979) for Guitar

Performed by John Armstrong at Dunster House Library, Harvard University, 10/21/1989

Syntropy (1979) -Electronic Music (Text from by R. Buckminster Fuller, read by Ezra Sims)

Nexus (1979) for Orchestra

Read by the New England Conservatory Repertory Orchestra, 1979

Four Movements (1980) for Flute and Piano

Performed by Judy Chemey and Martin Amlin at Brandeis University, 1980

Metalogue (1981) for Solo Violin

Performed by Wilma Smith at Brandeis University, 5/11/1981

Edaneres (1981) for Chamber Orchestra Listen (.MP3)

Read by Yale Norfolk Summer School Orchestra, Arthur Weisberg conductor, 1981

Diafonia (1981) for Two Pianos (Finalist, Boston ISCM Competition 1983)

Performed by Martin Amlin and Janice Weber at Brandeis University, 1981

Fantasy (1984) for Bassoon (also exists as a Bass Clarinet transcription) Listen (.MP3)

Performed by Amy Travis at Brandeis University, 1984

String Quartet (1984) (Honorable Mention, Boston ISCM Competition 1985)
Listen (.MP3) Mov. I Mov. II Mov. III Mov. IV

Performed by the Lydian String Quartet at Brandeis University, 5/18/1985
and by the QX String Quartet at Brookline Public Library, 12/3/2007

Duo (1986) for Two Violins - to Tony and Titia

Minute Waltz (1989) for Clarinet and Piano - to David and Beth

Plain Hunt on Eight (1990) for Flute and Guitar

Performed by Willemien Insinger and Armand Qualliotine, 1990

Duo (1999) for Flute Duo Listen (.MP3)

Performed by Willemien Insinger and Mies Boet-Whitaker (Duo Atlantica) 4/8/2001and 6/20/2004

Three Pieces (1999) for Piano Listen to 1st Movement (.MP3)

Performed by John McDonald 3/21/04 (LUMEN) and 6/20/2005 (Zeitgeist Gallery)

Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra (2000)

Sonatina (2000) for Solo Viola Listen (.MP3)

Performed by Wouter Schmidt 3/21/2004

Piano Quintet (2001) for Pno., Vln. (2), Vla., Vlc. Mov. I (.Pdf) Mov. II (.Pdf) Mov. III (.Pdf)
(electronic realization) Mov. I (.MP3) Mov. II (.MP3) Mov. III (MP3)

Tone Poem (2003) for Orchestra Listen (.MP3) (electonic realization) Score (.Pdf)

Birthday Tune (2003) for Piano (for Cathrien Insinger-Soutendam's 80th Birthday)

Performed by Loukie Insinger 11/09/2003, John McDonald, 6/20/2004

Lyric Piece (2003) for Flute Duo Score (.Pdf)

Performed by Willemien Insinger & Mies Boet-Whitaker (Duo Atlantica) 5/23/2003 and 6/20/2005

Quintet (2003) for Fl., Cl., Vln., Vlc., Pno.   Mov. I (.Pdf)    Mov. II (.Pdf)      Mov. III (.Pdf)
                                                                                                                                                             Mov. III (.MP3)

                               Performed by the Xanthos Ensemble 6/3/2007 (Newton Public Library), 6/4/2007 (Berklee College of Music)

Indigo Blue (2004) for Flute and Piano Score (.Pdf)

Performed by Willemien Insinger and John McDonald 6/20/2004

Petite Suite (2004) for unaccompanied Violoncello Mov. I Mov. II Mov. III Mov. IV Mov. V
(Listen .MP3) Mov. I Mov. II Mov. III Mov. IV Mov. V

Performed by Jan Insinger 2004 (Amsterdam), and Irina Chirkova 4/10/2005 (LUMEN)

To the Solar Winds (2004) for Woodwind Quintet Score (.Pdf) Listen (.MP3)

Commissioned by the Arlington Council for the Arts
Performed by The Solar Winds 11/7/2004 and 5/11/2007

Song without Words (2005) for Piano Score (.Pdf) Listen (.MP3)

"an evocatively musing and third-laden essay subtly tinged with early Berg" - www.newmusicon.org
Performed by Donald Berman 2/5/2006 John Knowles Paine Hall, Harvard University

Waltz (2005) for Piano Score (.Pdf)

014 Blues (2006) for Piano Score (.Pdf)

Fantasy-Variations (2006) for Piano Score (.Pdf) Listen (.MP3)

Performed by Donald Berman 2/5/2006 John Knowles Paine Hall, Harvard University

Boogie Woogie (2006) for Piano Score (.Pdf) Listen (.MP3) (electonic realization)

Lux Aeterna (2006) for Choir (SATB)

Harold in Italy (2007) for Alto Saxophone and Piano

                          (a sonata in three movements)
                                     "...some nostalgic and poignant moods, though it finished with a rollicking tango" - Pyracantha's Weblog
                            Performed by Kenneth Radnofsky and John McDonald 4/29/2007 (LUMEN)

               Two-Part Invention (2008) for Piano

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Links to a few web sites of my musical colleagues

... from Brandeis University (1980-86)

Allen Anderson   Ross Bauer   Peter Child     Alvaro Cordero   Peter Lieberson
Steven Mackey Jon Nelson Maria A. Niederberger   Sally Pinkas   Armand Qualliotine

... from New England Conservatory (1978-80)

Robert Aldridge Richard Cornell    Richard Danielpour   Michael Gandolfi   Kenneth Girard
David Kowalski    Gary Philo   David Rakowski Amy Reich Jody Rockmaker Mathew Rosenblum
Marc Rossi Anne Shreffler

... from Berklee (1973-76)

Harry Chalmiers Shirish Korde    Markus Stockhausen

... and friends

Ezra Sims   Robert Ceely    Stuart Jones    Jim Michmerhuizen

Contact: info@jamesricci.com

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