Ann Loomis Silsbee (21 July 1930 - 28 August 2003) was an American composer[1] and poet who composed two operas,[2] published three books of poetry,[3] and received several awards, commissions, and fellowships.

Silsbee was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[4] She earned a bachelor's degree from Radcliffe College, a master's in music from Syracuse University, and a doctor of musical arts in composition from Cornell University. She studied with Irving Fine,[5] Earl George, and Karel Husa,[6] and in Paris with unspecified teachers.[7] Her dissertation was on a composition by Peter Maxwell Davies called Stone Litany.[8] While at Cornell, she attended a poetry seminar led by Archibald Randolph (A.R.) Ammons, whose poetry she would later set to music. She married Robert Silsbee, a physicist who taught at Cornell,[3] and they had three sons, Doug, David, and Peter.[9]

In 1964, Silsbee's work River was performed at the Ferienkurs fuer Neue Musik in Darmstadt, Germany.[10] In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she taught at the State University of Cortland (New York) and at Cornell University.[7] In the early 2000s, she hosted several poetry groups and retreats.[3] Her awards, commissions, and fellowships included:

Awards

Commissions

  • First Street Playhouse, New York[2]
  • TROIKA Association, Ithaca, New York[2]

Fellowships

Silsbee served on the boards of the American Composers Alliance (ACA) and the International League of Women Composers. Her papers are archived at Cornell University.[3] Her works were recorded commercially on the LPs TURNA TV 34704 and NORTH NR 221,[7] and published by the ACA.[12] They include:

Books

  • Book of Ga[3]
  • Fullest Tide (published posthumously)[3]
  • Orioling[3]

Chamber

  • Another River (cello quartet and percussion)[13]
  • Expressions (clarinet)[7]
  • Glyphs (guitar and harpsichord)[7]
  • Go Gentle (three woodwinds or three strings)[7]
  • Journey (flute and percussion)[7]
  • Pathway (percussion and strings)[7]
  • Phantasy (oboe and harpsichord)[7]
  • Pharos (cello, piano and percussion)[7]
  • Quartet (clarinet, violin, cello and piano)[14]
  • Quest (string quartet)[7]
  • Runemusic (cello)[7]
  • Spirals (string quartet; also arranged for piano and for orchestra)[7]
  • Three Chants (unspecified number of flutes)[7]
  • Trialogue (violin, clarinet and piano)[7]

Dance

  • River (two groups of musicians and optional dancers)[7]

Electronic

  • Prometheus (bass, chorus, chamber ensemble and tape)[7]

Opera

  • Nightingale’s Apprentice (for children; libretto by Margaret Weaver)[2]
  • People Tree[2]

Orchestra

  • Seven Rituals[7]
  • Spirals (also arranged for string quartet and for piano)[7]
  • Trois Historiettes[7]

Piano

  • Bagatelle[7]
  • Corrai (prepared piano) [7]
  • Doors (Burge Eastman prize)[7]
  • Expressions[7]
  • In and Out the Window[7]
  • Letter from a Field Biologist (two pianos)[3]
  • Spirals (also arranged for string quartet and for orchestra)[7]

Vocal

  • An Acre for a Bird (motet)[7]
  • Bourn (text by A. R. Ammons; soprano, tenor, cello and harpsichord)[7]
  • Canticle (text after the Song of Solomon; soprano, oboe and harpsichord)[7]
  • De Amore et Morte (woman's voice and chamber ensemble)[7]
  • Diffraction (text by e. e. cummings; soprano, flute, piano and percussion)[7]
  • Dona Nobis Pacem (chorus)[5]
  • “Huit Chants en Brun” (text by Federico Garcia Lorca; translated into French by Andre Belamich)[7]
  • Hymn (text by A. R. Ammons; soprano, oboe and piano)[7]
  • Icarus (eight voices, recorder, and bongo drums)[7]
  • Leavings (soprano, percussion and prepared piano)[7]
  • Mirages (text by e. e. cummings; bass, cello and quarter tone harpsichord)[7]
  • “Now” (text by e. e. cummings)[7]
  • Only the Cold, Bare Moon (song cycle based on eight Chinese poems; soprano, flute and piano)[7]
  • Pictures from Brueghel (soprano and chorus)[7]
  • Raft (text by A. R. Ammons; narrator and percussion)[7]
  • Scroll (soprano and chamber ensemble)[7]

References

  1. ↑ Hixon, Donald L. (1993). Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography. Don A. Hennessee (2nd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-2769-7. OCLC 28889156.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Borroff, Edith (1992). American operas : a checklist. J. Bunker Clark. Warren, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press. ISBN 0-89990-063-1. OCLC 26809841.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Zhou, Andrew. "Downriver: Ann Silsbee and the Creation of Letter from a Field Biologist". Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  4. ↑ Stern, Susan (1978). Women composers : a handbook. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-1138-3. OCLC 3844725.
  5. 1 2 Anderson, Ruth (1976). Contemporary American composers : a biographical dictionary. Boston: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-1117-0. OCLC 2035024.
  6. ↑ Directory of New Music. Crystal Record Company. 1983.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Cohen, Aaron I. (1987). International encyclopedia of women composers (Second edition, revised and enlarged ed.). New York. ISBN 0-9617485-2-4. OCLC 16714846.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ↑ Surtees, Warnaby, John. The Music Of Peter Maxwell Davies Based On The Writings Of George Mackay Brown. OCLC 1005982091.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Home, Bangs Funeral. "Obituary for Robert H. Silsbee | Bangs Funeral Home". Obituary for Robert H. Silsbee | Bangs Funeral Home. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
  10. ↑ McVicker, Mary F. (2016-08-04). Women Opera Composers: Biographies from the 1500s to the 21st Century. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2361-0.
  11. 1 2 3 Heinrich, Adel (1991). Organ and harpsichord music by women composers : an annotated catalog. New York: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-38790-6. OCLC 650307517.
  12. ↑ Stewart-Green, Miriam (1980). Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice. Boston, Mass.: G.K. Hall. ISBN 0-8161-8498-4. OCLC 6815939.
  13. ↑ Price, Nancy (2016-02-25). Cello and Double Bass Ensemble Music. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-329-92715-5.
  14. ↑ The Clarinet. Department of Music, Idaho State University. 1980.
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