Modern American and Irish Songs

Robert Convery was born 1954 in Wichita, Kansas. He studied composition at the Curtis School of Music with Ned Rorem and at the Julliard School with David Diamond and Vincent Persichetti. Now he is active as a composer and is the artistic director of the Spoleto festival, USA.

Robert Baksa was born 1938 in New York, but grew up in Tucson, Arizona. He studied composition at the University of Arizona with Henry Johnson and Robert McBride. Later he studied with Lucas Foss at the Berkshire Music Center. His one act opera "Red carnations" was performed in the past two seasons by the Santa Fe and Dallas operas. He is currently living in Upstate NY.

Philip Martin was born 1947 in Dublin. He studied piano with Mabel Swainson. He received a scholarship for the Royal Academy of Music in London where he studied piano and composition with Franz Reizenstein and later with Louis Kentner. Since then he has been active as a pianist and composer. He is a member of Aosdana, Irland’s artist academy and is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Gwyneth Walker was born 1947 in Connecticut. Now she lives on a farm in Braintree, Vermont. She has been a full-time composer since 1982. For 12 years, she was professor for music theory and composition at the Oberlin College Conservatory, the Hartford Conservatory and the Hartt School of Music. She is the directress of the Consortium of Vermont Composers.

Corey Field was born 1956 in Los Angeles. He studied composition with Thea Musgrave and Peter Racine Fricker. At the University of California, he studied with Krzystof Penderecki. He continued his studies at the Aspen Music School, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Vienna. He has been teaching music in an elementary school since 1978.

Ronald Perera was born 1941 in Boston. He studied composition with Leon Kirchner at the Harvard University and electronic music with Michael Koenig at the University of Utrecht. He has received prizes and scholarships from the Harvard University, the Paderewski Fund, the Goethe Institute, the Artists Foundation of Massachusetts, the National Endowment of the Arts and ASCAP. He now holds the Elsie Irwin Sweeney chair of music at Smith College.