Raymond Luedeke

Luedeke, Raymond

Luedeke, Raymond. Composer, clarinetist, b New York 11 Nov 1944, naturalized Canadian 1988; B MUS music history (ESM, Rochester) 1966, M MUS composition (Catholic) 1971, D MUS composition (Northwestern) 1976. After graduating from the ESM, he was briefly principal clarinet with the Colorado Philharmonic and then studied 1966-7 at the Vienna Academy of Music on a Fulbright Grant. He played clarinet 1967-71 in the US Air Force Band and concurrently studied composition with George T. Jones at Catholic U in Washington, DC. He taught composition and clarinet 1971-4 at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, and studied composition with George Crumb in Philadelphia in the summer of 1973. He continued his composition studies 1974-6 with Alan Stout at Northwestern U in Evanston, Ill. He then taught clarinet and composition 1976-81 at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, and in 1981 became associate principal clarinet of the TS.

As a composer Luedeke has been praised for his imaginative scoring, his outstanding craftsmanship, and his ability to write music that is appealing to performers and audiences alike. He has cited Ives, Britten, Lutoslawski, and Crumb as major influences. Conservative and avant-garde styles frequently interact in his own music in what he has termed a 'counterpoint of opposites'. His works have won Northwestern University's Fericy Award (Sonata for viola and piano), the Missouri Contemporary Music Competition in 1978 (Mystery Madrigals) and 1980 (Fancies and Interludes II), the 1981 International Horn Society Composition Competition (Fancies and Interludes III), the 1983 Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest (Fancies and Interludes IV), and the fanfare competition for the opening of Roy Thomson Hall (Fanfare). Canadian musicians and organizations to have commissioned works from Luedeke include the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects (Three Lyrical Studies), the Canadian Saxophone Quintet (Garbage Delight), Rivka Golani (My Secret Life), Judy Loman (The Moon in the Labyrinth), Nexus (Silence!), radio station CKLN (String Quartet), the York Winds (Nocturnal Variations), and the TS (Shadow Music; The Transparency of Time, jointly with André Laplante; Tales of the Netsilik, jointly with the Calgary Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, MSO, Orchestra London Canada, and Quebec Symphony Orchestra; and The North Wind's Gift, jointly with the Calgary Philharmonic and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and performed by the TS on its 1991 European tour). Luedeke is a member of the CLComp and an associate of the Canadian Music Centre and the American Composers Alliance. He is an affiliate of BMI.

Selected Compositions

Orchestra
Chamber Symphony. 1971. Ms

4 Cantos. 1974. Ms

Concerto. 1976. Saxophone quartet, orch. Ms

Fanfare. 1982. 12 trumpet, organ, orch. Ms

Shadow Music. 1983. Continuo Music 1984 (rental). 1985. First Edition Records LS-794 (Louisville Orch)

Clockworks. 1985. Ms

The Transparency of Time. 1986. Pf, orch. Ms

Tales of the Netsilik. 1989. Narr, orch. Ms

The North Wind's Gift. 1990. Ms

Chamber

15 Inventions. 1969. 2 clarinet. Seesaw 1971

Krishna. 1972. Tuba, percussion ensemble. Seesaw 1974

Sonata. 1975. Va, piano. Ms

Mystery Madrigals. 1976. Fl, clarinet, violin, violoncello, percussion. Seesaw 1978

Fancies and Interludes I. 1977. Tuba, piano. Ms

Macchu Picchu. 1978. Fl, clarinet, violin, piano. Ms

Brass Quintet 'Complexity and Contradiction'. 1979. Ms. 1985. Crystal CD-560 (CD) (New Mexico Brass Quin)

Fancies and Interludes II. 1979. Saxophone, piano. Ms

Fancies and Interludes III. 1980. Hn, percussion. Music for Percussion 1984

Five Preludes. 1980. Guit. Ms

Horn Calls. 1981. 2 horn. Presser 1982

Fancies and Interludes IV. 1982. Bass clarinet, percussion. Music for Percussion 1984

Serenade. 1982. Ob, violoncello, piano. Ms

My Secret Life. 1983. Va. Ms

Three Lyrical Studies. 1983. Tpt, piano. Ms

Fancies and Interludes V. 1984. Vc, organ. Ms

The Moon in the Labyrinth. 1985. Hp, string quartet. Ms. Centrediscs CMC-CD-41-4292 (Orford String Quartet, Loman)

Silence! 1986. Perc, mar (voice or oboe or fl or clarinet or viola or violoncello). Ms

Nocturnal Variations. 1987. Ww quintet. Ms

Garbage Delight (Dennis Lee). 1988. Narr, saxophone quintet. Ms

Fancies and Interludes VI. 1989. Vn, piano. Ms

Fancies and Interludes VII. 1989. Bn, piano. Ms

String Quartet. 1990. Ms

Also several works for wind ensemble; 12 Preludes (1981) for piano; Four Songs, The Dream and Old Song (1986) for SATB (text by D. Livesay); and other chamber works, some with voice